Up Over Everything
by Brooke1
Summary: *NEW PART*(B/X)Can Buffy, Xander and Willow put aside their personal issues to fight an evil that will strike very close to home? Sequel to Before the Fall of Rome *R&R*
1. Up Over Everything 1a

Title: Up Over Everything (1a/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

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Giles backed up as he blocked her roundhouse kick and the high punch that followed it, the sounds of the contact against his sparring pads echoing through the room. He was glad Buffy had fully fallen into her calling, in theory. The bruises he bore on an almost daily basis and his aching joints and muscles were arguing with his pride and greater reason, that he was a an idiot for insisting that she train with him – kept reminding him to utilize the helpful vampire, Angel, more in sparring exercises to spare himself the hurt. He was actually thinking, as he backed away, of trying to pull the old 'look over there' tactic from cartoons and running to call the souled demon while Buffy's back was turned so that he could replace his immediately.

Frustrated that she hadn't gotten through with that series, Buffy pulled back hard and landed a swinging middle punch to Giles' gloved hands. Continuing with her momentum the Slayer went into a full spin and finished the hand combination with a strong backhand punch. Fully focused and not giving the Watcher any time to recover she executed a full spinning jumping high wheel kick followed by a right middle punch, both landing hard and backing the middle-aged man across the room steadily with her relentlessness. 

Buffy was sick of him telling her not to let up on him – to see him as an opponent, a vicious attacker bent on ripping her throat out…dressed in a puffy blue suit, Buffy had pointed out with a grin, but decided to give him what he wanted anyway.

She threw her leg out in a high roundhouse kick and followed it with a front snap kick using her opposite leg. Giles tripped over his feet momentarily, but caught his balance in time to catch her jumping twin straddle kick, placed low, lo land against his stomach. Buffy landed lightly back on her feet and settled on another attack combination before moving again.

Giles jumped back at her quick approach, stopping Buffy short. "Right!" he exclaimed, taking off him face mask and breathing hard. "That's enough training for one day."

Buffy looked at him concerned while her heart rate slowed, "Well, that last roundhouse was kinda sloppy," she pointed out.  "Are you sure you don't wanna do it again?"

Giles stopped panting momentarily at her suggesting, "No! No, no, that's fine. You just... run along." He watched her shrug and head to the table in the middle of the room to get her bags. "Field trip today, yes?" he questioned while removing the rest of his pads gingerly.

Buffy nodded slowly while taking a drink from her water bottle. "Yep. Good ole Sunnydale Zoo."

Giles smirked and wiped his brow with a towel from under the reference desk. "And here I thought you came to school everyday."

"Giles!" Buffy said through a mirror of false shock. "That was good." She grinned at her Watcher's self congratulating grin. "Well, I'm outtie," she scooped up her gym bag and headed to the doors. "Want me to come back afterwards?" Buffy tried to conceal her hopefulness that the answer was yes. She had grown to like training, liked finding out everything she was capable of doing now physically. The newness of her super powers definitely made getting up at the butt crack of dawn to work out worth it for her.

"Quiet alright Buffy," Giles shook his head and Buffy's small grin dropped. "You just have a good day, and restful night off. Catch up on some homework."

Yeah, Buffy smiled to herself, Homework "Kay, Giles. See ya." She turned and bounced out of the library, leaving Giles standing in the exact same position he had been almost since they had finished their training session.

"And I'll have a bloody good time waiting for the feeling to return to my arms," he winced at the swinging doors as he tried to head slowly back to his office.

~*~*~

Buffy swallowed and tilted her head to the side, eyes wide in her face as she studied the scene before her with a disgusted grimace. "What are they doing?"

Xander held the same expression but was laughing out loud periodically. Buffy glanced to look at him briefly before turning back to face forward. Actually, his expression was nothing like hers. He was grinning in fascination and a sort of perverse expression. "This is so cool."

"Make it stop!" Willow cried with her head ducked into her hands. "He's hurting her!"

Xander chuckled and looked down at her while talking a sip of the coke he had brought. "It's the circle of life, Wills…" He seemed to pause in consideration. "Plus," he gestured back to the pen. "How could she not like that?"

Buffy made a sort of gag sound in her throat when she saw what Xander was now pointing at. "I can't believe you're watching this. You're sick…"

"You're still standing here too." He pointed out with a smirk. 

"I just wanted some coke," she fired back and snatched his drink from his hand before turning away quickly. Willow looked up to see Buffy wandering slowly away while sipping on Xander's soda and turned to follow suit.

"That's what they all say!" Xander called back over his shoulder at the girls. "Man!" he said turning around and finding them perched on a bench behind him, "You made me miss the end." He pouted as he flounced over to them and flopped himself down on the bench, "That was probably going to be the only worthwhile sight in the stupid fieldtrip."

"It was zebras," Buffy shrugged offering Xander's cup to Willow who took it with a grin.

"Mating." Xander said matter-of-factly. "You don't see that everyday."

"Thank God," Buffy snorted. She poked Xander in the shoulder hard several times and he rocked back and forth in his seat melodramatically. "You may have corrupted Willow," she accused lightheartedly.

Xander stuck his tongue out at Buffy and she mimicked the move before he lifted his gaze to Willow. The red head paused mid sip and spoke philosophically. "It was kind of like the Heimlich…with stripes."

"Well," Xander defended and jumped off the seat, "I thought it was very exciting. Better than the elephants at least." He turned to Buffy with a superior smirk and dared her to deny it.

Buffy stood up in front of him and smiled as she walked past. "I guess that depends on what you're trying to get from this experience. I was intending to get my chuckles in the Joy of Sex with the animals of the Serengeti."

"He's a boy, Buff," Willow stood up and followed her path, handing Xander back his empty cup when she passed.

The blonde snorted, "Don't remind me."

Xander mimicked her barb in a high pitched voice but jogged to catch up to her side and draping his arm over her shoulder before he spoke. Buffy pretended to try to get away but then simply sighed and let them walk together, keeping her between himself and Willow. "I just find joy in the little things in life," he told her metaphorically. 

"Oh," Buffy denied, reaching up with her right hand and grabbing his where it was draped over her shoulder. "There was nothing little about that."

"I know I've never seen that before," Willow nodded wide eyed. "It made all the animals seem shiny and new... and a little masochistic."

"And nothing beats a good masochism," Xander nodded happily and offered the empty cup of ice back to Buffy, and she took it with a grin that he returned softly. "So what next?" he asked as the walked slowly past a cave like structure that was blocked off with yellow caution tape.

"We have, like, two more hours," Willow pointed out distractedly as she read the sign that was fastened to the wall of the cave. 

"We can go see the fishes," Buffy suggested hopefully with a bright smile directed at Xander.

"What is it with you and fishes all the time?" he asked with mock disgust. "You never want to see cool things like the Gila monsters!" Xander finished in a shout at his own suggestion.

Buffy pouted and leaned briefly against his shoulder, "I like fishes…"

Willow stopped walking, and called ahead to Buffy and Xander who had continued on oblivious, "Wait guys."

Buffy stopped walking first and turned with Xander, still under the shelter of his arm. "What is it Wills?" 

Willow glanced at them, "There's Hyenas," she pointed out with a grin. "They're pretty cool."

The Slayer walked back to Willow leaving Xander to follow. She ran her fingers over the yellow tape over the entrance. "Too bad it's closed," she noted as Xander came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist this time. 

"Unless…" Xander said in a low whisper while leaning over Buffy's shoulder. He looked around quickly, "There's nobody around here. We could run in and run out…"

"I don't know, Xan," Willow looked doubtful. "Maybe it's not open cuz it's empty right now…"

"Or maybe it's not," Xander pointed out. 

"Either way," Buffy spoke, leaning back slightly against the boy behind her, "We shouldn't…"

"If it isn't the original loser," A new voice broke into their conversation directed at Willow, but then addressing the group, "And her association of social rejects."

"Kyle," Xander greeted with false enthusiasm. "To what do I owe this flaming hot pain that his engulfed my brain at the sound of your oafish drone?"

 The other boy's face turned up in confusion and Buffy fought off a laugh. "Hey," he said suddenly in his defense. "Did you ever wonder why nobody cool ever hangs out with you guys?"

"You mean like you guys?" Buffy questioned with mock wonder. "No, we're just thankful."

"Careful," Rhonda spoke up from her friend's side with a cruel smile. "You don't want to piss her off."

"Yeah," Tor added for her, "She might beat you up."

Xander hugged Buffy back tighter as her eyes fell to the ground and her smile died. It seemed that ever since the Harvest…the night that she had probably saved everybody in the schools pathetic life, she had been labeled the school thug, of sorts. Always the topic of quiet snickers and more rumors than Xander would ever tell her about. Just like Slaying had been designated Buffy's priority extracurricular, defending her to the general student population had been assigned to both him and Willow; and they were more than happy to do the job. Neither of them wanted to her hurt, ever wanted one of their friends to suffer needlessly. But every so often Buffy would hear something, a joke or a comment directed to somebody else behind her back or in front of her face; and occasionally assholes like Kyle, Rhonda, and Tor, the designated tenth grade misfits, would say something to her face.

Willow noticed the change in Buffy's mood and instantly felt bad. If half of their classmates knew how many times Buffy had saved them while they assumed she was some sort of social deviant they'd be on their knees begging for forgiveness; but the Slayer never said anything about it. Buffy had told her once that she didn't slay for thanks, for recognition. She didn't say what she did it for after that, but it wasn't for these reasons when it so easily could be. "Why don't you guys just get lost," Willow rolled her eyes at them. "We weren't bothering you, and you're presence is actually making me feel dumber."

"Oh good one, loser," Rhonda shot at Willow when Buffy and Xander laughed. 

"Not loser!" Buffy exclaimed with wide eyes. "That has to be the harshest…"

"What's going on here?" the principle sounded as he approached the loitering teens, who to him, looked to be at a stand off.

Kyle and his group forced themselves to back off high alert and appear relaxed. "Nothing Mr. Flutie," he sighed. "We were just…talking."

The overweight principle eyed the kids suspiciously. 

Kyle Martin, Torrance Bramlent and Rhonda Dorfman were known bullies…troublemakers, and he was always on the look out for their handiwork. Ranging from vandalism to tormenting…well, everybody.

Xander, he recalled the files on the boy, was an underachiever, yes, but also had never been in any real trouble besides class disruption – a problem that he had suggested be fixed with Ritalin, but Harris didn't seem to have taken his advice. 

Buffy Summers was another case for him altogether. She had been a good kid – no problems. Involved with school activities, gotten pretty good grades – not great because she didn't apply herself, but pretty good; a cheerleader to boot, so she was popular. But she had been slacking lately, more so than usual even for herself. Skipping classes, late when she didn't. Not turning in assignments, failing tests, and most disturbingly reports of fights off campus. Richard Flutie had been working with children since before he graduated from college and he knew something was up with the girl. Something beyond the troubles of puberty. Drugs maybe, he thought more times than not. He would have to call her parents in…

So that left him with - "Willow," he questioned turning his gaze to the new student who had taken up with Harris and Summers. 

"Hum?" she squeaked, her green eyes going wide in her face.

"Is that true?" Flutie asked. She was the last untainted one there. If he wanted an genuine answer, he had learned, it would always come from the new one

Willow's eyes darted to Xander's and he shrugged, unable to offer any help.

"We're fine Mr…" Buffy tried to answer but he cut her off with a raised hand.

"Willow?"

The red head turned to Kyle and his friends before she answered. "Yeah," she nodded weakly, "We're fine…just talking."

"See," Tor said snidely and the principle shot him a look. "All friends here. Right Buffy?" 

Xander bit back a new well of anger at the comment and the way the other boy eyed his friend and the kissing gesture he made afterwards. Wait till we get back to school…

The Slayer sensed Xander tense behind her and rolled her eyes. "Yep Mr. Flutie. Everything's copasetic."

"Good," Flutie nodded cautiously and took a step away. "Good." He pointed warningly at the kids, "I'll be watching you…all of you. Oh," he stopped and added. "Harris and Summers," he gestured by putting his hands together and pulling them apart. "One body length," he emphasized when everybody looked at him confused, "Apart."

"Oh," Willow nodded distractedly in understanding. "I get it now," she looked down sheepishly.

Principle Flutie stood in place until Xander let his arms fall from around Buffy and she stepped away. "Good," he called back before turning and walking away.

"That guy is such a chode," Kyle shook his head.

"Something we agree on," Xander snorted. "That world must be ending."

Kyle snorted in agreement and then turned to face Willow. "You came through," he smiled.

"Yeah," Rhonda rolled her eyes at the situation, "Flutie's always looking for an opportunity to come down on us."

Buffy lifted the cup of ice she was holding to her mouth and poured some in, crunching through her next statement. "Maybe it's cuz you guys are Satan spawn." She grinned at Xander who had chuckled at her response and nodded in agreement.

"Maybe," Tor nodded at her with a flirtatious grin.

"Ooorrhhh," Buffy rolled her eyes sarcastically and Tor sneered at her.

Kyle nudged Rhonda and then cocked an eyebrow at Willow. "We were gonna check it out in there," he pointed behind her to the hyena display. "See why it's all blocked off. You game?"

What? Willow looked confused and surprised at the suggestion and she glanced over her shoulder at the opening of the cave.

"Wills," Buffy spoke up, putting her hand on her arm lightly. "Don't," she said quietly and shook her head. "Flutie just said…"

"When did you turn into saint Buffy?" Rhonda asked as she pushed her way through Willow and the blonde before turning to face everybody again. "No need to stand in the way of her fun cuz you've got a righteousness quota to fill."

Buffy squared herself against the dark haired girl and sneered, "I just think it's my duty as a human to advise against following ass holes into stupid situations."

"Well listen up Harris," Tor smirked and bumped his way past the other boy to follow Rhonda's path. Xander reached out and shoved him on his way past and the other boy stumbled over his feet into Rhonda. When he righted himself he turned quickly on Xander and shoved him back hard and Xander moved to jump back at him, but was stopped by Buffy's hand on his chest, "Stop it," she whispered harshly to him, breaking up the minor scuffle. 

"That's right Harris," Kyle smirked at him and stepped up beside Willow, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Listen to you Piece." He felt Willow try to pull away and held her tighter, "What do ya say, Willow? Wanna come with us, or watch these two rub each other some more…I mean, that might be your thing…"

Willow pretended to be disgusted by what he was saying to her, but she couldn't help but consider his words, no matter what secret intention he had. She knew that she shouldn't trust Kyle, but another part of her asked why. Why were Buffy and Xander her only friends, but they each had another intersecting and overlapping group that didn't include her at all. Why was it only she who was limited to these two friends. And they were hanging all over each other a lot, something that while she was beginning to force herself to accept, she could use a slight break from… "Ok," she shrugged.

"What?" Xander spoke in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"She wants to go with us Harris," Kyle grinned over his shoulder as he started walking, ducking both himself and Willow under the yellow tape.

"Be right back," Willow called back as she and the three other teens disappeared into the tunnel.

"This is ridiculous," Xander stated in shock while trying to see around Buffy to where Willow had disappeared to. "What is she thinking about?"

 Buffy shrugged and shook her head. "I'm going in after her," the Slayer stated sternly and started to duck under the tape herself.

"Naw, Buff," Xander interjected quickly and grabbed her arm to stop her. The short blonde stood to face him outside the cave when he spoke. "I'll go," he told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked concerned. "Those guys…"

"I can handle them," Xander assured. "They're just obnoxious…professionally. They don't require any actual Slaying, you know," he grinned and leant down to give her a quick kiss, which Buffy grinned into, before he ducked under the tape. "I'll go give Willow back her brain and be right back."

Buffy couldn't fight the giggle that bubbled out of her throat. It wasn't so much what he had said, as the fact that they had gotten into the habit of good bye and hello pecks when they were alone, and since they hadn't been all morning, she could tell that he had been waiting all that time to do it. "Please do," he smiled, refocused.

The Slayer watched Xander's form disappear down the tunnel and glanced around the area herself. Yeah, Kyle and his friends were just regular kids, but there was no need to for Xander to have any unnecessary brawls.  Buffy sighed and ducked into the mouth of the cave display – she'd be in and out quick.

"Oh, hold it, hold it!" a male voce boomed from behind her and Buffy stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to face, who she assumed by his khaki garb, worked of the zoo. 

"Are you blind, or are you just illiterate?" The zookeeper asked harshly and the girl winced. "Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak."

Prick, Buffy thought, but spoke uncertainly instead. "Oh, I…I was just gonna take..."

The man cut her off sharply and lifted up the tape for her to exit the tunnel, "You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."

Buffy shook he head obediently and stepped out to face the brash zookeeper. "No," she agreed, "no one's going in there." The Slayer's senses went on high alert at the warning she had just received and she wanted nothing more than to get Willow and Xander out of there. "Why is it off limits?" she tried to sound nonchalant. 

"It's quarantine." The zookeeper explained looking the blonde in the eyes, "These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out." He cocked an ominous eyebrow and leaned down further into Buffy's face, "Even if they call your name."

The Slayer leant back precociously, keeping her temper in check enough to not beat the living crap out of this man. "What are you talking about?"

The zookeeper smirked at his superior knowledge as he explained, "The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech." The man smiled as he could see the chill that passed through the teen in front of him. 

"They follow humans around by day, learning their names," he continued. "At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack," he snapped his fingers to startle the girl, "devours them."

Buffy looked at him under hooded eyes and studied his smile at the end of his tale. It sounded too brutal to give anybody a happy. "Well," she sighed out finally with a slight shrug of her shoulder. "Thanks…"

"That's what field trips are for," the zookeeper nodded. "Education outside the classroom." He watched the girl nod before he turned and walked away, leaving her outside the cave. "Remember," he called back, without turning around. "Stay out of there."

As soon as he was gone Buffy's eyes snapped back into the darkness of the cave, panic and worry spreading through her body and setting the Slayer in high alert, and she swallowed. "Yeah…"

 ~*~*~

Kyle let his arm fall from around Willow's shoulders when he entered the dark room. "Cool," he spun around admiring the surroundings. He approached his friends whom were leaning over the bar into and looking down into the cage.

Willow looked around nervously from her position where they had entered the enclosed space. "Ok," she fidgeted, "I don't see anything."

Tor glanced at her over his shoulder, "That's cuz you're all the way back there." He waved her towards them, "Com'ere."

Willow took a cautious step forward but stopped when she heard a low growl from within the cage, "Okay, we've seen…now we can go." She girl took a step back but Kyle jogged over to her quickly, holding her back.

"They're cute," Rhonda tossed over her shoulder with a devious grin while the animals growled again.

"They're hungry," Tor smiled in kind while Kyle pulled a struggling Willow towards the partition. 

"NO!" she fought back, "Let me go!"

Kyle laughed menacingly, "C'mon Wills," she shoved her into Tor by the cage, "Supper time…"

"Willow!" Xander called, interrupting them, as his jog slowed to a halt. "C'mon," he said sensibly, "Be serious." He stumbled into the cave and stopped when he saw Kyle forcing Willow to lean over the ledge into the cave. "Hey, Kyle! Why don't you pick on somebody your own species!" he suggested smugly, and the other boy let Willow go. The red head ran to Xander and he stepped in front of her. 

"What?!" Kyle approached Xander with his arms out in challenge. "It's not enough you're dyke ass girlfriend starts fights, but now you're going to get in my face too?"

Xander fumed at the Kyle and clenched his fists as he started to head towards him. He had been listening to this buffoon spread things about Buffy for weeks – months even, but it was going to end now, he settled. 

"Xan!" Willow pleaded with him when he started to walk away. "C'mon! Let's just get out of…" She trailed off when the hyenas growled from within the cage and Xander turned his fiery gaze from her to the animals, along with Kyle, Rhonda and Tor.

Xander felt dizzy when his eyes focused ahead and Willow's voice seemed to have faded away…melted into the background before it was completely gone and replaced by an eerie silence…deafening clarity almost, saturated into his subconsciousness when he turned to the cage. He was drawn to the flash of green light that emanated from with in the constructed animal habitat, and he focused on it – making it part of himself.

"Xan?" Willow called meekly when his back was turned to her for several long moments and his head suddenly whipped around. She flinched when his usually dark eyes seemed to flash neon green, but dismissed it as it only lasted a brief second before it was gone. "Let's go, Xander," she said again quietly when he just continued to stare at her an odd smirk now spreading across his features.

Kyle and his friends studied Xander's back while he watched his friend and then stared to laugh…cackle even more maniacally when she jumped at the loudness and suddenness of the noise. Willow's forced smile died when Xander turned back to them and joined in their unprompted glee with a low but distinct chuckle, and she turned and ran out of the cave. 

~*~*~

Buffy and Willow sat at their table and moved periodically to the live music that was flooding the Bronze. Giles would, every so often, give Buffy the night off, and when that coincided with a lax in parental regulations, the Slayer was always quick to jump on it and make sure to be out of range of any adults as fast as humanly possible. She had found that if she took her time deciding how she wanted to spend her free time she ended up doing things like babysitting Dawn or pottery class with her mother or, and this one was the most torturous, talking with her father – who, now, seemed bent on making sure that she was still his little girl. Buffy was actually glad that she wasn't an only child during many of their hour long talks, or listens, as it was on her side, because she couldn't wait until Dawn was subjected to The Hank Summers Inquisition. 

"Is Xan coming?" Willow asked and Buffy could notice the nervousness in her voice. 

"I think," Buffy shrugged and took a sip of her Coke. "I dunno, probably…"

Willow grinned knowingly and Buffy finally raised her eyes to see her friend. "Oh, please," she exasperated. "You know that you know. Why always pretend that you don't care?"

Buffy pouted and looked back down at the table. "I'm not pretending. I really don't care where he is…"

"Right." Willow agreed disbelievingly. "There's nothing wrong with your hyperawareness. He's your best friend."

"I'm not hyperaware," Buffy shot in defense. "I'm of regular wareness. Just because I know that he's allergic to shrimp and grapes and his heart rate in 180 over 30, does not constitute hyper anything."

Willow nodded with a smirk. "You got it bad," she shook her head and reached for Buffy's drink. "Almost as bad as him."

Buffy ducked her head shyly and swallowed, "Is it obvious? I mean, if you were an outsider…"

"I don't have to be an outsider, Buffy." Willow stated. "Why do you think I've been forced to give up my crush on him?" The blonde looked up in disbelief but her friend waved her hand dismissively at her. "Oh, please, Buffy. You knew, and you hated it."

"I…I…"

"You've always had him, so I'm ok with it." Willow stopped her stammering. "I don't want to lose friendships over this type of thing…we're cool." The redhead then cocked an eyebrow, "As long as you guys don't try to inhale each other in front of me. I'm not ready for that yet," she finished holding her heart melodramatically, and Buffy laughed.

"Thanks Wills," Buffy said sincerely. "I…I kinda wanted to talk to you about…but I didn't know…"

"It's fine Buffy." Willow assured. "You've got more to get together than telling me that you and Xander are…whatever. Besides, I'd have to be living in another dimension to not put the pieces together – but," she paused in contemplation, "according to Giles that might not be completely impossible."

Buffy shook her head with a heavy sigh through her grin, "Yeah. Tell me about it." 

Both of the girls scanned the club before Willow's eyes settled on the stage, focusing on the bassist of the band that was headlining that night. Oz. Just the name brought a smile to her face. And a slight twist in the pit of her stomach. She had met him when she was out with Percy; she had noticed him then, liked him, even. But now, there was so much guilt overshadowing those initial reactions. Percy was dead. He didn't deserve to die and he had been out at the Bronze that night alone because she had told him that she had homework to do – he had asked her to come with him, and she had said no. What if she had said yes? Maybe then nothing would have happened; maybe then Buffy would have been nearby and swooped in to save the day. Willow couldn't possibly even consider degrading the innocent boy by being attracted to somebody else so soon.

"Speaking of other dimensions," Buffy spoke again and Willow turned to face her blushing heavily. "Did Xander seem…I dunno – weird, or anything on the way back today?"

Willow sighed in relief at the fact that Buffy hadn't even been paying attention to her. "I didn't notice," she shrugged taking another sip of Buffy's drink. "How so?"

The Slayer shrugged and glanced at the sleeve of Xander's jacket that she was wearing, running her finger over the maroon and gold striped cuff. "He was just…quieter, I guess. He just seemed more…" Intense? the Slayers mind asked, Dark?

"More what?" Willow questioned, her interest peeking.

"It was like…" Buffy tried to explain, "He'd be looking at me. And I'm used to that, you know," she smiled briefly but then let it fall. "But it was like he was looking through me…and when I called him on it, he didn't even turn away, he just smiled. It was creepy. It's weird."

Willow shrugged again, "I didn't notice."

"Ladies!" a voice sounded from behind Buffy and she turned when she felt a hand on the small of her back as the person came into view. "Buffy," Scott greeted with a genuine smile at his ex. "How are you doing?"

Buffy shrugged dismissively while the boy hopped up onto the stool beside her. 

"I'm pretty good," Willow offered a vocal response at Buffy's continued silence. "You?"

"Eh," Scott mimicked Buffy's shrug. "Can't com…"

"What do you want?" Buffy interrupted him suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She had no interest in carrying on a conversation with him and he knew exactly why. Xander had begged her not to mention what he had heard from Jeff, but she just couldn't sit on it. Scott had the whole school thinking that she was some sort of slut while he sat there and smiled in her face. He could have single handedly ruined her reputation…more; she guessed she should add now. But, and Buffy stood firm behind this, she would rather be gossiped about for "starting fight" that saved lives, than for being a cheap whore.

Scott backed up a little at her cold tone and blinked. "I'm sorry Buffy," he offered. "I don't know how many times I can tell you that before you believe me, but it's true. I am sorry."

"You should be," Buffy bit her lip and turned back to her drink, stirring it absently. "And," she turned back to him, "You're sitting in Xander's seat." She knew that would get him. At first Scott had insisted that they all hang out – buddy around and such, but as the weeks passed he seemed to have picked up on, what according to Willow, she and Xander were broadcasting to the general Sunnydale population, that they, for all intents and purposes were together. In turn, Scott Hope had developed an intense and burning hatred for Buffy's male 'friend' and any mention caused an immediate cloud to fall over his features.

Scott looked around the club and then back to Buffy, "Don't see him."

"He's running late," Buffy shot back. "He'll be here soon."

"Well," Scott argued back, "Then he won't need a seat until he is."

"I really just don't want to talk to you." Buffy sighed and took a sip of her drink, "I've got nothing to say to you, for one, and two, I'm trying to have a conversation with Wills."

He always had a deep look etched on his face, but when he wanted to gain pity it would break into a hopeful smile. "I'm going to wait until you forgive me, Buff."

"Hold your breath," she said, earning a giggle from Willow.

"I guess I deserve that," Scott sighed and then sent Willow a withering glance when she nodded in agreement, just content so sit and listen to his and Buffy's conversation unfold in front of her. "Well, can I at least try to make it up to you?" he asked next. "I'd hate to think that we invested so much into _us_ and then to not even be friends. Breaking up shouldn't have to mean that has to happen."

"And it doesn't," Buffy challenged. "When both people are mature and trustworthy. And don't make up lies to impress their friends."

"Pin it on the guy factor, if you have to, but I never meant to hurt you…"

"For her to find out," Willow threw in knowingly and Buffy nodded enthusiastically.

"Well," Scott sighed with a grin and pulled out a small flask from his jacket pocket. "Let this be the first in my petition for amends," he maintained his grin and reached for Buffy's half empty cup and poured some of his containers contents inside. He set the plastic cup back in front of her and Willow watched as Buffy said nothing in protest and simply began stirring the drink together.

The Slayer sighed before taking a sip under Willow's gaze. "What's the second part?" she questioned eyeing the boy, "Because this, so far, is not nearly enough for me to want to waste time looking at you." Buffy took another longer sip and slid the cup to Willow.

The red head shook her head with wide eyes and her friend laughed at her reaction. "You sure?" Buffy asked, "I can finish it."

"What is it?" Willow stammered out, and this time Scott chuckled.

"Rum n' Coke," he smiled and then asked. "You don't drink?"

"Not old enough," the red head said nervously, feeling instantly stupid under Scott's continued, almost disapproving smile. 

Buffy simply shrugged and took another sip, speaking before he could question Willow's obvious moral objections. "You can go now," she smiled in an eerily sweet manner.

Her ex boyfriend's smile fell and he slid off the stool dejectedly. When he was on his feet again he hesitated, "Buffy?"

"Yeah?" she answered half heartedly, not turning away from Willow to address him. 

Scott took a deep breath, "Would you…like to…um…dance or anything?" he finally got out. He saw Buffy about to reject his suggestion and jumped back into his speech. "Cuz, you're just sitting here, you know – and it doesn't have to mean anything…just…"

"GIRLS!" Xander's voiced boomed as he approached the table from behind Buffy and she turned excitedly to face him, leaving Scott to her back.

"BOY!" Willow greeted in kind.

Xander smiled at her, but she noticed something else behind it – like it was fake, just a simple gesture that wasn't even for her benefit…just… empty. "Sorry I'm late," he offered reaching Buffy's side and slowing his speech as he focused on Scott standing at her other side. "I... just forgot that we were gonna be here." Xander's dark eyes narrowed and Scott matched his glare, "Get lost." Xander sat simply, sliding his arm low around Buffy's waist where she sat on the stool.

Scott turned his face up and scoffed at the other boy before speaking to Buffy, "If you ever want to…"

"I don't." Buffy said simply and cut him off. 

The shorter boy fixed Xander with a heated glare when he began laughing, a low rumbling sound in his throat that he tried to disguise, but failed when his face contorted with the effort. 

"I guess the court has spoken," Xander choked out in amusement, "And we have decided that you need to go the fuck home."

"Whatever," Scott shook his head and walked quickly away from the table, hearing Xander laughing behind him. 

"What a tool," the boy's laugh died down when he was left with Willow and Buffy, and his arm fell from around her. His eyes roamed the club for a split second before settling on the croissant on the plate in front of Buffy. "Mmmmmm – Hungry!"

Both girls watched in confusion at his behavior when he reached for the pastry and bit into it, tearing off a large piece and chewing it into his mouth.

"So," Willow tried after catching a 'told you so' glance from Buffy who was watching her friend eat with an almost disgusted look on his features. "Xander, you still want me to help you with algebra tomorrow? We can meet in the library so you can train with Buffy after."

Xander seemed to ignore her as he swiped up Buffy's Coke and took a long gulp, pulling it away with a bitter frown while licking his lips. "Yeah," he said to Willow distractedly before turning to Buffy. "What is this crap?"

"Well," Buffy said irritated as she looked into the now empty cup and then to the crumbs left on her plate. "It _was my buttery croissant and my rum n' Coke…which by the way was my only repentance for my failed relationship…"_

"I need some food!" Xander cut her off and looked around the room again. "Birds live on this!" He scratched his shoulder and cracked his neck, "And don't drink. Not good for you," he said with his eyes narrowed at her.

"Alright Dad," Buffy tossed him a half smile. "And this coming from the guy who cried because I had never played Quarters last year?" she asked rhetorically to Willow who forced out a smile in support, born mostly out of discomfort at the fact that she didn't know that her friends had spent vast amounts of time inebriated. One more thing she hadn't known about them about the lives they had, for the most part, together, for years before they even knew she existed.

"It's bad for your system…makes you weaker." Xander added distractedly and Buffy and Willow looked at each other and then back at him. Xander smiled and looked back and forth at them, "What?"

"What's up with you?" Buffy inquired with a furrowed brow. She needed to lean back to see his face; he was standing so close to her.

"Yeah, Xan," Willow threw in, noticing Buffy's new Xander shaped shadow. "Is something wrong?" She thought back to earlier in the day and his apparent tine and attitude towards her now. Even though she could come up with no explanation involving her directly she asked anyway, "Did I do something?"

Xander snickered at her, "What could you possibly do? That's crazy talk." He scratched his stomach absently, "I'm just... restless."

"Well," Willow piped up excitedly, "we could go to the ice cream place..."

"No," Xander interrupted and pointed to the table "I like it here." He looked up and scanned the area a bit, his body discreetly leaning further into Buffy and he audibly sniffed her hair.

Buffy watched Willow's brow furrow at the action and leaned away from her friend. He had done that before, he just had never been so overt in his intent – almost acting as if her were checking her, or trying to stake some sort of claim… "Okay," the Slayer demanded, "Now what?"

Xander looked her in the eyes and held for a moment without blinking. He could sense the shiver that went through her body, even though there was minimal physical movement. It held a hint of desire with her question – just a little fear with her curiosity. "You took a bath," he said simply.

"Yeah," Buffy stuttered, "I-I often do. I'm actually known for it."

"That's okay," Xander nodded after a moment of consideration. "I can live with that."

Willow shot Buffy another look conveying her agreement in his strange behavior while he scanned the club yet again. She had seen him do that about six times since he had gotten to the table, almost as if he were waiting for somebody to get there.

"And the weird behavior award goes to..." Buffy tried to joke, but it was delivered with minor strain.

Xander wasn't paying attention though and he tensed by her side when he noticed Kyle and his friends enter the club. Xander focused on them and Buffy turned and followed his gaze, her eyes darting between his face and the newcomers as he watched them push through the crowd. 

"Oh, great," Buffy sighed to Willow when Kyle had noticed them and stalked up to the table, his group behind him, "It's the winged monkeys."

Kyle ignored her comment and faced Xander from her other side and Willow watched on uncomfortably, while the two boys locked eyes over Buffy's head. Without saying a word Kyle turned and pointed to another table to the right of the one they were seated at. 

Willow's wide eyes met Buffy's again and conveyed her confusion, to which Buffy shrugged and mouthed 'I have NO idea.'

"Y'know," Kyle spoke and Buffy and Willow turned to see him speaking to the occupant of the new table that they had approached. "I don't understand why you're sitting at our table."

Rhonda spoke up from behind him, "Yeah, shouldn't you be hovering over the football stadium with 'Goodyear' written on you?"

Three started laughing out loud while the boy at the tables face fell and he slid of his stool seeming ready to say something in his defense, but wilted under Kyle's silent dare. 

Buffy turned to Xander and saw him watching the other boy all but run away with the insistent giggling following him out of the club, before he joined in as well. Xander watched the boy disappear from sight before turning back to his table and finding Buffy's gaze fixed on his and his laughter died. "Kid's fat," he stated directly in a cold tone before casually dropping the subject and asking, "Wanna dance?"

"No." Buffy shook her head in disbelief, but Xander had stepped around her and was heading towards the bar before she could speak again.

"Suit yourself," he tossed over his shoulder with a shrug.

Buffy and Willow watched him walk towards the bar with their mouths open, and the Slayer snorted in disbelief when she saw him stop and look a passing girl up and down with an approving smile on his way. _That, most definitely was not Xander Harris, she settled. And it was up to her…well, Giles, to find out why. But if there was to be fighting for him to be normal again – then it was all her._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 1a


	2. Up Over Everything 1b

Title: Up Over Everything (1b/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She didn't usually sleep in, but this morning Buffy just couldn't wake herself up. She had walked Willow home before heading towards Xander's house and she chalked up her wariness to the amount of energy that it took to fend him off on the way. He didn't do anything that she hadn't made a habit of reinforcing as of late, but he was more insistent that she had ever known him to be. The fact that he was doing all this while he was walking led  Buffy to label her aversion efforts as fending, because he was going after her like a dog who was trying to get at a ball behind its owners back – relentless, and well, pretty sad looking when it failed. 

That was Xander last night, to a tee. She had taken extra time, and by default smoochies and some more focused groping than she'd ever experienced, to get the cause of his mood out of him, but had come up empty handed. His answers to her questions were as normal as his aggressiveness wasn't. He hadn't done anything weird that day, nothing that she hadn't witnessed him do herself; he hadn't eaten any funky foods; or sniffed any glue, he had added when he grew suspicious of her inquires. All in all, Xander was Xander.

But he wasn't acting like her Xander, and Buffy had stayed up for the better part of the night trying to pinpoint why on her own. She had thought about calling Giles, but decided against in since it had been two in the morning when the idea struck her, and she knew he'd be less than thrilled to hear her suspicious ramblings about her boyfriend.

All in all she had really fallen asleep about an hour before her father came to wake her up for school. He had asked if she was feeling alright and her initial answer had been no. It was a reflex. 'Do you feel alright?' 'No.' 'Do you need to stay home today?' 'Yes.' It was a script as old as time, and Buffy's father always played into it. Hank may not tolerate skipping school, but he couldn't spot a teenager faking sick to save his life. He had even left her to go get her orange juice and some cereal, but then Buffy realized that she didn't have time to be sick that day. She had to talk to Giles and she had to do it yesterday, so by the time Hank had returned she was up and dressed and ready to go. 

He had reluctantly agreed to take her to school, still insisting that she looked a bit 'eh', which Buffy filed personally to take offense to later; and had given her a note to get out of practice to boot. If Buffy chose she would have a whole two extra hours in her day as an added bonus for her work fighting the undead. If Xander weren't all wonky she'd be in proverbial paradise. But he was acting wonky, and Buffy knew all the reading she was going to have to in order to figure it out definitely made the ladder obsolete. 

Buffy raced up the steps of the school and headed straight to the library. She had called Willow before she left home and asked her to meet her in the library, and the red head had sounded surprisingly awake for 7:00 in the morning. The Slayer thought maybe Giles should research that too, because it was almost as weird as Xander turning into don Juan meets the Fonz over the span of twelve hours.

"Look out!" 

Buffy heard Principle Flutie's voice shouting in a panicked tone from around the corner in front of her. She would have turned around if it weren't the quickest way to her final destination.

"It's gotten loose!"

Buffy stopped short when she turned the corner and saw what all the commotion was about. A little baby pig racing down the hall towards her, and she stooped down and caught him, picking him up easily. "Awww," Buffy lifted the animal up to look him in the face, and cooed, "You're a cute little guy, aren't you?"

Mr. Flutie ran up to winded from the chase and stopped when he saw her coddling the pig. "Lordy, Herbert!" he breathed out hard and reached out to pet the animal in Buffy's arms. "Gave Mr. Flutie quite a scare, didn't he?" He withdrew his hand when Herbert began to try to wriggle free from the girl's arms and turned to address the students that were crowding the halls and watching. "Students, I'd like you all to meet Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!"

The students eyed the pig in Buffy's arms and she held him up with a smile, turning his small form so that they all could see him, and applause broke out. 

Buffy hugged Herbert back to her chest for a moment and the pig offered no resistance. "He's so cute," she told Flutie while ducking her face to look in Herbert's eyes.

"He's not cute," The principle argued back determinedly. "No! He's a fierce Razorback!" he added and received another round of clapping and cheers.

Buffy looked down at Herbert and then lifted her gaze back to the Principle, "He doesn't look mean, Mr. Flutie."

Mr. Flutie shook his head, "He's mean, he's ready for action! See?" He pointed at the small helmet and tusks that were tied to the pig's head, "Here are the tusks...", and then to a Styrofoam ridge tied to Herbert's back "And the scary Razorback!"

Buffy eyed the appendages skeptically, her eyebrows scrunched up but the just gave in. There was really no use arguing with Principle Flutie, trying was what ended her up being the chair person of the AV club carwash last year – and she wasn't even in that club, but her and all the cheerleaders had spent a Saturday washing cars for them in the parking lot. "You're right. He's a fine mascot and will engender school spirit."

"Uh," Mr. Flutie sighed at her enthusiasm, despite all the effort he had put in to get her to see it his was. "He better. Costs a fortune to feed him." He then turned his attention to the pig, "Alright, let's get you back into your cage."

Buffy smiled and moved to hand Herbert over, but the pig squealed loudly and squirmed in her arms when the man got close.

"Right," Mr. Flutie snatched back his arms at the flurry of movement and gestured to Buffy with his head. "This way."  

"Mr. Flutie," Buffy called as she hurried to keep up with him, trailing behind and holding the pig dutifully. "I really…I have to meet some one for…studying – a study group…" She only had a few minutes left before the homeroom bell ran, and now she was actually heading away from the library. Mr. Flutie had her playing Jack Hannah because he scared the living crap out of animals…

"See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit," Mr. Flutie cut her off as he led her to the Faculty Room and stopped outside. "Hold on, let me get his outfit off."

"I am actually a cheerl…"

"Today its all gangs and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity," Flutie continued ignoring her. He noticed Buffy's brow furrow and he jumped to continue, "I don't have cable, I only heard." Her expression still held a hint of trepidation but he kept talking, "When I was your age we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that stuff!"

"I care," Buffy objected. "We've been practicing…"

"Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were *my* age." He turned and unlocked the room and opened the door for them to enter. 

"Alright, lil piggy," Buffy said to Herbert in hopes of ending the conversation. He had wasted her time carrying the pig, and then again telling her how much she didn't care about school spirit. She had logged too many hours, that she didn't have, for this place to have it denounced because the Razorbacks sucked in field games.  

Buffy turned to enter the room but stopped when she saw hoards of students rushing inside. She glanced up and saw lightening streak across the sky and shook her head, at least now, she reasoned, the football team could postpone their loss. She heard the first bell sound and cursed under her breath, ready to just hoist the pig over, but stopped…

Xander walked calmly inside, adjusting a leather jacket that she had never seen on him before, seemingly oblivious to the weather conditions outside and immediately found Buffy's eyes over the droves of congregating students and held. He didn't even offer her a grin as he approached her – eyeing both her and Herbert for a long moment when he passed without saying anything. Buffy froze under the intensity of her friends gaze and the only reaction that startled her into action were squeals and frantic writhing from Herbert that Xander's presence seemed to cause.

Buffy's brow furrowed in confusion as she watched Xander pass, still not speaking, while she tried to keep Herbert from jumping out of her arms.  

"That's odd," Principle Flutie's voice brought her back to the present, and she lost sight of Xander when Flutie guided her with a light tough on her arm into the room. "I guess animals can sense weather first, huh lil guy?" 

"Yeah," Buffy said distractedly.

"Well," Flutie said, shutting and locking the cage. "Hopefully it clears up so you can cheer us on this afternoon," he smiled brightly at Buffy. "Thanks," he added out of obligation but then said sternly. "Go to class."

"Yeah," Buffy sighed again and turned to walk out of the room. Not only had she missed Giles, she mused as she headed for homeroom, but something was defiantly up with Xander. She just hoped that Willow had gotten to the library and hopefully remembered enough about his odd behavior to gather some information form Giles. The Slayer turned the corner into her classroom and stopped dead in her tracks. It was Tuesday…

That meant gym first period… and in the rain, it meant…

~*~*~

"Dodge ball!" Coach Harrold exclaimed to the teens as the mulled around the gym. "Alright, it's raining, and all regular gym classes have been postponed," he held up a large red rubber ball. "Now, for those of you that may have forgotten the rules are as follows: you dodge."

"He's acting so weird," Buffy whispered to Willow while they both eyes Xander from across the crowd. He was talking animatedly with Kyle, Rhonda, and Tor, and would periodically look up form his conversation and catch Buffy's eyes. He seemed not to notice Willow at all when he focused on her and his gaze, at every turn, made Buffy turn hers away to focus back on Willow or the floor. "He sacred the shit out of that pig this morning," Buffy told her. "And he didn't even stop to say hi, he just looked me up and down and kept walking…he's acting totally freaked."

"I know," Willow agreed with a sad grin. "I called him last night to see if he wanted to go over his history notes, and he completely blew me off."

"No offense, Wills," Buffy shrugged, "But Xander's not big on books – he probably just…"

"And then the talking thing," the redhead started talking enthusiastically. "He's ignoring me too. He just walked right by me…he's colder," Willow added in a low voice. 

"We have to talk to Giles, like now." Buffy insisted, casting Xander another look. She frowned when she saw him point at a girl in their class and break out in a loud laugh that earned the gazes of several surrounding kids.

Coach Harrold tossed the ball to Buffy, who was standing in the front of the group and her conversation with Willow was cut short, as she caught it. The coach caught her annoyed facial expression with a grin and blew his whistle. "Two teams!" he shouted and gestured with his hand, "Down the middle." He waited a moment while the teens scattered before whistling again and the class began throwing the rubber balls at each other.

Xander surveyed the other side of the gym, seeing Willow and Buffy standing close together off to the side. He caught a ball that was aimed at his head without even looking at it and threw it back across the court, nailing his first victim in the back – the sound of the hit echoing through the gym while the girl held her side in pain. 

Buffy watched the girl limp off out of the corner of her eye and then turned to face Xander. She locked eyes with him and ducked a ball that whizzed past her head. She watched Kyle jump high over a ball that was aimed at his legs – he along with his friends were almost as alert and efficient in dodging the balls as she was, and they didn't have the Slayer reflexes working for them.

Xander side stepped a ball and zeroed in on the boy who had thrown it at him. He roughly snatched a ball from another boy on his team and hurled it across the court hitting the initial thrower dead in the chest with an almost evil grin.

Buffy watched his face, his intense concentration and her jaw set. He was trying to hurt them – his classmates – his friends. He was picking them off, calculating his next move before he even had a ball. The Slayer scooped an abandoned ball from the floor and tossed it fairly lightly across the room, hitting a girl in the thigh and sending her to the benches as the teams started to dwindle in numbers.

Xander glanced to his team as they remained, the four of them left alone on their side of the court and then to the other side of the gym. He narrowed his eyes while he ducked another ball and considered his options. Greg, he recognized working from the corner of the floor; Link, standing near the back under a basketball hoop; Ryan, who had just tried and failed to peg Rhonda; Buffy and Willow…

Xander picked up a loose ball and watched Tor beam Link in the side of the head and the other boy fell to the ground hard. Four. His mind was counting it down. Only the strongest were left on his team; Buffy's only had one worthwhile person – had only ever had one to begin with. He juggled his ball, waiting, while Rhonda aimed at Buffy. He watched Buffy duck easily, setting an unwitting Greg up for the sacrifice, and cut his eyes to his teammate with a low growl. Three. 

He felt Buffy's eyes on him the whole time. She was still playing, but as her team disappeared from around her, he could sense the change in her. He could smell it – the alert, he had her cornered and on the defensive. Xander let out a slight grin and threw the ball he was holding hard nailing its target with a sever accuracy, satisfied with the sound that his hit made reverberate through the room.

Two. 

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently when his victim, a totally unsuspecting, Willow gave him a hurt and confused look as she walked off of the court holding the area on her back where Xander had hit her. She was weak he settled in his mind, If she wasn't expecting it, she was stupid, too. Not fit to be in Buffy's circle. Xander refocused on the game and caught another ball absently while he watched her move to the bench with hard emotionless eyes.

Willow sat down hard and crossed her arms over her chest while sending Buffy a quick look before settling in on glaring at Xander. The Slayer slit her eyes at her male friend who was still trying to get Ryan.

A loud smack followed by the resonance of Ryan crumpling to the hard wood floor signaled that Xander's side had succeeded in their goal, leaving Buffy alone on her side.

She stopped her bouncing movement and efforts to dodge anymore of their attacks and faced them all – Xander glaring into – not at her, into her for a moment. She prepared for him to throw the ball he was still holding – he had been merciless so far, why should he stop with her? Why should he not finish the game…

Xander suddenly turned and focused on Rhonda, leaving Buffy standing silent behind them, and motioned to the rest of his group. Buffy watched them move, fascinated, that they had been waiting for an order…his order, and they surrounded the dark haired girl. She backed up slowly, eyes wide in her face until they hurled their balls hard at her, hitting her repeatedly as she fell to the ground in defense.

"Never again," Xander growled down at the fallen girl before stepping back slightly, almost a dare for her to challenge him.

Buffy ran over and pushed her way between Tor and Kyle, who were standing idle watching her, and tried to help Rhonda up. The Slayer reached out to grab the other girl's arm, but she flinched away. Buffy quickly got to her feet while Rhonda stood and rushed out of the gym, not looking back at Xander, Kyle or Tor.

She lifted her gaze and locked with Xander's and he didn't move. Didn't flinch. Just matched her silently as if they were the only people in the room – and then he turned, without warning, and headed towards the locker rooms, leaving Buffy to watch his calm retreat with an angry stare.

Coach Harrold watched the display from the side lines and sucked in a deep breath, born of the sheer adrenaline from his spectating. "God, this game is brutal. I love it!"

~*~*~

Willow spotted Xander by the lockers when she walked into the hall, talking with Kyle and his new group of friends. Buffy had said that he was acting weird but only now did she grasp the full extent of it. The Xander that she thought she had grown to know over these past months would never set out to physically hurt her – wouldn't even think of doing what he had in the gym a few minutes ago, let alone doing it with a grin. She had decided to talk to him, maybe gather some more evidence of his behavior to be able to better pinpoint it when they researched it later, so she had changed quickly in order to beat Buffy to him.

From what she had already witnessed of Xander's behavior, what with his new associates, and general standoffish mannerisms, to what Buffy had told him of his interactions with her, she had drawn clear variances in the boy's treatment of those around him – long story short, Willow wanted to talk to him without the blonde present to see if it was her or if Buffy really was the only one safe from Xander's newfound temperament.

"Xander," she called when she reached where he was leaning and he pushed himself upright to face her. Willow stood up straighter when Kyle and Tor mimicked Xander's defensive stance and flanked him on both sides. 

Xander cast quick glances over his shoulders and then turned to the redhead with a small grin that, if she read it right, held an odd sense of sadness in its depths. "Yeah, Willow," he sighed and reached for her arm, not grasping it, but more just guiding her away from the other two boys, as if he had been waiting for her. "We need to talk."

His comment caught Willow off guard and she followed him confused. "Alright," she faced him when they were a little ways down the hall. "What is it Xan?" she asked worriedly, "Is something the matter…with you?" She knew she was fishing, or perhaps even planting the idea in his head, but he had initiated the conversation.

"Yeah, kinda," he nodded briefly, keeping his tone somber. "See," he faced her with a pained look in his eyes. "I guess you've noticed that I've been acting a little different around you lately."

Willow nodded at his prompt. "Yes, a little – well a lot actually…"

Xander sighed and nodded, "I think, um... I think maybe it's because my feelings… for you have been changing. I mean, it's kinda of confusing, what with Buffy and all, but its…it's just all pretty clear now, you know?" He glanced up over Willow's shoulder and saw Buffy exit the girls' locker room and catch his eyes momentarily. He could read her questioning the situation from down the hall while she pretended to become enthralled in opening her locker. For a Slayer, he thought, she broadcast her feelings…mood, way too much. Anybody could read her like an open book – on tape.

He looked quickly back to Willow and saw her brow furrowed in confusion at his less than explanation. He began speaking again before she turned to see what he was looking at behind her. "And, well," he sighed again, while biting back a roaring laughter that was sounding though his mind. This girl was so simple. "We haven't been friends for that long, you know? And I've known Buffy forever. You just sorta walked in on it – I don't want to say spoiled…Look," he smiled good naturedly at the hurt expression that broke out on her face. He could taste the tears that she was staving off. "I know I can trust you Wills. It hasn't been long, but I think I can trust you to tell you what I really think…and I think I need to tell you something."

Willow looked at him expectantly not understanding at all what he was getting at beyond that fact that he had just told her flat out that she was imposing on himself and Buffy. That he had confirmed her biggest fear that she was their third wheel – that he didn't just break her heart.

Xander leaned in closer as if he were going to tell her a secret and Willow couldn't help the way that her heart sped up. He smiled at her nervousness, wondering if she possibly thought that he would give into what he knew she wanted. He wondered if she thought that there was a chance in hell that he would ever kiss her. "I've, um..." he hesitated for effect, "I've decided to drop algebra." He pulled back to look at her face with a smile in place, "So I won't be needing your after school math help anymore. Which means that starting today you can leave me and my girlfriend alone and, here's the added bonus, I won't have to look at your pasty face again."

Willow swallowed shakily as she took a step back from him, wincing at the high pitched barking laughter that erupted in her face. Her chin shook while she backed away from him hearing his friends join in his glee from behind him, before she turned and ran down the hall. She knew deep down that something was wrong – that she had only engaged him as a sort of experiment, but on the surface he had cut her deep. Crushed her – and she needed to get away from him. Willow hurried down the hall, not even stopping when she passed Buffy and the other girl tried to stop her with a gentle hand on her arm. She simply shook off the gesture and moved faster. She couldn't face anybody right then, especially Buffy and she was glad that she didn't chase after her as she headed away. 

Buffy watched Willow pass her and disappear down the other hall, headed towards the science wing and she slammed her locker shut. Her eyes were blazing while she walked up to Xander who had rejoined with Kyle and Tor and turned him around forcefully to face her. The Slayer set her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest and Xander's laughter died immediately while he watched her. Waiting for her reaction – and if Buffy didn't know better, almost seeking her approval. "You gonna say something to me?" she asked him in a harsh voice.

Xander swallowed and just continued to look at her before started laughing again and even more loudly than before, right in her face. Buffy took a small step back at the unexpected reaction and was about to say something when he matched her movement and wrapped his arms low around her waist. "I did us a favor," he said with a small, decidedly fake pity pout in place while he pulled himself closer to her.

Buffy slid her hands up and pushed at his chest in disgust when she felt him press his face into her hair and heard his audible inhale. "Let go," she protested bitterly and shoved him away.

Xander obeyed with a little chuckle, huffing out a dismissive 'whatever' as he stepped back. Buffy was about to speak again, calling him on his recent behavior, but before she could open her mouth she found herself staring at his back as he had turned back to the other boys.

The Slayer slit her eyes at him and turned, heading hurriedly down the hall the way Willow had gone. She had to find her before whatever was happening got too much more out of hand.

Xander faced his group…his pack, forgetting all about Buffy when his stomach growled. "I'm starving," he commented apropos nothing and pushed his way through the two of them. 

Tor turned and followed him closely while Xander led them down the hall. "Shouldn't we find Rhonda first?"

Xander turned over his shoulder and shot the other boy a glare, a low growl emanating from his throat.

"She shouldn't have bitched off," Kyle commented darkly when Xander didn't answer. "If she wants to hang with us she's gotta get in line…"

"Right," Xander agreed, "Now, if she wants to apologize for her actions – we can work something out." Tor nodded obediently, casually sniffing the air. Xander noticed his brief inhales and mimicked the action, his stomach rumbling again when he picked up the scent.

He gestured with his head, remembering where he had first seen Buffy that morning, and stopped in front of the faculty room, reaching out tentatively and turning the door knob. All three boys scanned the hall to make sure it was clear before they slipped into the room and shut the door behind them.

Xander inhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes glinting with a devious mirth as they fell to the cage in the center of the room. "Shut those," he ordered pointing to the blinds on the two windows in the room, and his lackeys jumped into action, casting the room into dark shadows while Xander approached the cage first.

He bent down and licked his lips as the pig inside squealed and tried to get to the furthest reaches of the cage, only to find no escape as Tor and Kyle surrounded it as well. "Hey piggy piggy," Xander laughed a little at the squealing animal before cutting his eyes to the other two boys. "Let's do lunch," he growled, and the pigs nervous squealing intensified.

~*~*~

"Willow!" Buffy called running to catch up with her retreating friend. "Wills, wait up!"

"What?" the other girl huffed turning to face the Slayer. She knew that it was no use trying to out run her, since she had been told time and time again about her super strength, and had actually seen her in action when she was in a full out sprint. There was no escaping her for a normal girl.

Buffy stopped in mid thought, speaking without needing to catch her breath, "Are you alright?"

She couldn't bite back the tears that stung her eyes at recalling what Xander had said to her. "He was just so…cruel," Willow explained breaking down as everything rushed out of her. "I didn't know…he just…what he said – I had thought it before, but…"

Buffy nodded sympathically and wrapped her arm around Willow's shoulder, guiding her slowly down the hall. They were gathering a few stares, and there was no need for those who hadn't sent the earlier events, to know. Buffy didn't want to attract anymore attention to the situation than necessary.

Willow let herself be led and she wiped at the tears in her eyes. "I mean, I know you guys are close…and I'm new and everything, but I never thought that he felt…" she trailed off in a loud shaky exhale.

"Something is definitely wrong with him," was the only explanation Buffy could offer her friend. She knew that it didn't even really serve that purpose, but was more just something she said automatically to justify Xander's actions.

"Or maybe there's something wrong with me," Willow sighed out. Maybe, despite Buffy's insistence that he was acting 'wonky', it had more to do with her than she had ever anticipated.

Buffy turned to face her, confusion etched in her features, "What are you talking about?"

Willow huffed out a breath and stopped walking just as the reached the swing library doors. "C'mon," she spoke in a low, guarded tone when Buffy faced her, "He's not picking on you. He's just grabby, you said…and sniffing you a lot." She paused when Buffy didn't deny what she had said, "I don't know, maybe three isn't company anymore."

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "You think this has something to do with me?"

"Of course," Willow exclaimed, stating the obvious as far as she was concerned. "He said…" she choked on the words momentarily while the heartless sentiment in which they were delivered flooded her again, "He said that I was cutting in on you guy's time – that it was better just you and…"

"No." Buffy cut her off forcefully. He probably had said that to her. Hell, the way he was acting, he had meant it too, but that was just another aspect of whatever it was that wasn't her best friend. He would never hurt anybody like he had Willow – and he would certainly never go out of his way to hurt Willow specifically. Whether Willow knew it or not, Xander had had her back since the first day she had started school. It had been Xander's insistence that they even hang out with her at all, and he continued to stand by his decision to have her as a friend.  Xander had seen something in Willow that he felt that he needed to have around, and that was part of the reason that Buffy had felt so threatened by her at first. Xander may hang off of her every word, but he was enthralled with Willow for reasons that not even he could name. 

"That still doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dode patrol." The Slayer's mind set off on a tangent of all the possible causes for Xander's behavior. "Something's going on. Something weird." 

"What're you gonna do?" Willow asked with a slight sniffle when she saw the determined look in her friend's eyes.

"You go try to find him," she told Willow and immediately saw her defenses rise. "You don't have to talk to him," Buffy amended, "In fact, don't talk to him at all…just…try to keep him in your sights. I'm gonna talk to the expert on weird…do the book thing." Buffy turned and pushed open the swinging doors to the library, stopping when Willow spoke again.

"You are?"

Buffy grinned at the mocking expression on the other girls face and shrugged as she walked inside the library, "GILES!!!!!!"

~*~*~

Giles paced around the room, trying to organize while Buffy talked at him. He could have sworn that the girl had class, but she didn't seem to be thinking twice about it since she had hardly taken a breath since she had entered his quiet zone, screaming as usual. 

"So, Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?" Giles asked absently, filing a returned book, his back to the teen.

Buffy nodded enthusiastically even though he wasn't looking at her, "Uh-huh."

The Watcher turned and headed back to his check out desk. "And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?"

"Yes," Buffy repeated, glad that he was at least humoring her. "He was wearing this jacket this morning – a leather one. I've been all through Xander's closet and I've never even seen it before."

Giles nodded, letting her words pass him by. "And, well, otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles," he asked again as he sorted through the card catalogue.

Buffy nodded slowly a deep frown setting in her features, "It's bad, isn't it."

Giles looked up for the first time and met her eyes. He set his face in stone and spoke in a serious voice, "It's devastating," he huffed out coming from behind the desk to face his young charge, "He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Course, you'll have to kill him."

Buffy scowled at the British man. He was always _so funny now – always with the sarcasm in the face of world threatening danger. "Giles, I'm serious," she insisted with wide eyes._

Giles sighed at her expression and let any follow up joke fall, and insisted, "So am I. Except for the part about killing him. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."

 "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me," Buffy argued excitedly and followed him when he walked past her and continued to put books away. She reached out and grabbed one of the books out of the stack he was holding in one of his arms, "Get your books!" she ordered. "Look stuff up!"

Giles snatched the book back from her and she let him have it, "Look under what?"

Buffy let her shoulders slump and she looked at the floor, "I don't know," she exhaled deeply, "That's your department."

Giles shook his head and set all of the books he was holding on a shelf, and then leaned back against the oak rail of the second level of the room. "The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."

Buffy shook her head. "But _I'm worried about him," she insisted, trying to convince him that her Slayer instinct should be reason enough to sound the alarms. "He's not…"_

"I understand that you're worried about your friend, Buffy, I really do," Giles tried to sympathize. "But I must point out that people, specifically teens, are prone to…"

"He's mean, Giles," Buffy cut him off, not wanting to hear another 'evil teenager' speech that day. "He made Willow cry. Cry," she reiterated. "I've known Xander my whole life and he's never made anybody cry purposely…well, Cordelia that time in the seventh grade, and Jesse two years ago when he broke his arm…but that was it. Until today."

Giles shook his head and stood up, heading back down the steps to the main floor, Buffy still stating her case behind him.

"AND…oh, he's all extra grabby," she pointed out, "Even Wills noticed that."

"Again," Giles exasperated, "I must point out, with no offense to you personally, but a teenaged boy given a chance…"

Buffy rolled her eyes and snorted in minor disgust, "Please never relate your insight into the mind of a teenage boy to me ever again," she pleaded and Giles shook his head, but she quickly got back on track, "And he's been sniffing me…like a lot. AND…h…he scared the pig this morning."

Giles gave her a skeptical look and Buffy's constitution withered. "Well, he did..." she pouted.

"Buffy," the older man insisted, trying to calm her down as she was obviously agitated. "Boys can be presumptuous and cruel. They opportunists as far as the opposite sex is involved," he fixed her with a stern look and the Slayer focused on the tiled floor again. "And as far as is other recent actions… boys tease, they, they, they prey on the weak. I-i-it's natural teen behavior pattern."

Buffy had been dejected, trying to formulate another argument in the mist of Giles' rebuttal when something she had heard peripherally stood out to her. "What did you just say?" she demanded her head snapping up to meet the Watcher's eyes.

Giles swallowed and tried to recall what he had said offhandedly, "Um, they tease," he shrugged.

Buffy shook her head, "They prey on the weak." She shut her eyes in attempts to draw the memory from her subconscious, "I've heard that somewhere bef..." And then it clicked in her mind – the zookeeper… "Xander has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo," she told Giles, eyes wide with her revelation. "Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage with Willow – Xander went in after them…" It had to have something to do with that, it just had to, and she remembered the laugh. The high pitched cackle that had become stable in any almost conversation that she had with him since that afternoon, and it clenched her conviction, "And that laugh..."

Giles looked at her confused at what she was implying, "You're saying that, uh, Xander's becoming a hyena."

Buffy shook her head, still trying to make sense of it all, "I don't know." She shrugged and faced his with a hopefully questioning half smile, "Or been possessed by one? But not just Xander, all of them…"

"Well," Giles considered his Slayer's recollection, trying to piece it together with her, "I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..."

Giles was cut off when the swinging doors burst open and Willow ran in, trying to catch her breath, "Herbert!" she panted, her wild eyes searching Buffy and Giles' expressions, "They found him."

Buffy frowned at her friend's panic and squeaked out, "The pig?"

Willow nodded, "Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."

Buffy turned to Giles, a mocking 'I told you so' expression glued on her features, "Testosterone, huh?"

Giles swallowed hard and headed to his office, taking off his glasses and cleaning them as he moved hurriedly about the room.

"What're you gonna do?" Willow asked him concerned after sending Buffy a confused look. She was still in the dark about this whole situation, but obviously while the mascot had been getting turned into an early lunch they had made some headway.

Giles shook his head, almost ashamed for downplaying Buffy's initial assessment of the situation. He had wasted too much precious time arguing with her over the side effects of puberty instead of doing his part to help, and now things were dying as a result. "Get my books." He sighed, "Look stuff up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 1b


	3. Up Over Everything 1c

Title: Up Over Everything (1c/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow sat at the table in the middle of the room, focused on the book before her. She would occasionally glance back to Buffy, who was perched on the stairs behind her. The Slayer was, by nature, more effective on the physical aspect of the slaying, and not so much the fact finding, but had, this time, insisted on helping out with the books part. Giles had accepted her insistence, understanding her need to help get her friend back, and assigned her one of the smaller texts to look through so as to put her to as much use as possible.

"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed suddenly, drawing the attention of both Willow, from the table, and Giles from behind the reference desk. "Apparently," she continues reading from the book in her lap, "Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."

Willow nodded having found similar connotations in her readings. "Hyenas aren't well liked."

"They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom," Buffy sighed and pushed herself up, walking to the table and hopping up to sit on it. She glanced down at the book Willow had been looking at and scanned one of the shorter paragraphs that seemed to have something to do with possession. The Slayer pouted suddenly, turning her gaze to the door at the opposite side of the room, "Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy or, or some ducks?"

Willow faced the blonde with a sad grin, "That's assuming 'possession' is the right word." 

"Oh, I'll say it is," Giles commented as he approached the girls in the center of the room, and the Slayer faced him with renewed worry. "The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."

Buffy swallowed and cursed the fact that she hadn't remembered her conversation with the weird zookeeper earlier. Then again for allowing Xander to talk her out of going into that cave herself. Her gaze suddenly turned to Willow, and she hated that her heart clenched in anger while she watched the other girl continue to thumb through her text. If Willow hadn't decided to try to be the 'cool kid' and go in with Kyle in the first place, nobody would be in this mess. "So how does it work?" she asked suddenly focusing back on Giles in hopes of quelling what was rapidly approaching rage in the pit of her stomach. 

The Watcher removed his glasses and chewed briefly on the ear piece, "Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals." He explained as if from memory, "They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."

Buffy brow clenched. She didn't like what she had understood of what Giles had told her or that whoever had brought those things into Sunnydale had something planned.  "And then they started acting like hyenas," she cut in, stopping the Brits stuttered explanation.

Giles looked directly at her and Buffy tried to give him and innocently apologetic grin in response. "Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes." He had noticed that the girl had a bad habit of interrupting him, and then turning his explanations into the verbal equivalent of a Dr. Seuss book. His internal ranting over Buffy's lack of manners when she started questioning him again.

"So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"

Giles swallowed and shook his head, not wanting to give her this information, "If it goes unchecked..." 

He decided that the picture would explain what he didn't have the heart to tell her and handed Buffy a book open to the page that he had last read. The page that put all of their research into perspective, and sent the Slayer into high alert.

Buffy took the book from him and looked at the engraved black and white picture on the page. She let her eyes rove over the image: a group of men, mangled and bleeding on the ground, various limbs and…heads…strewn over the dirt. Her stomach clenched when she thought of what could happen… what was happening to Xander and his pack. That they would inevitably devour each other and she slammed the book closed, slamming it down on the table beside her. Buffy was actually shaking when she hopped off the table and headed briskly towards the door. "I gotta find Xander," she said in a quivery whisper, not looking behind her when she pushed the doors open and disappeared into the hall.

Willow watched the Slayer in a sort of frightened awe when she left the room. She had watched Buffy deal with a variety of other monsters since she had learned about the Slayer and the Hellmouth, but never had she seen that reaction from her exactly. But then again, the danger, the monster had never been so close. Buffy had the fight Jesse, would again, but Xander was something wholly different. Xander wasn't a demon. He was still him only not in control. 

The redhead glanced at Giles briefly before sliding the book Buffy had deposited to her side of the table and picked up the book, finding the page Buffy had been presented with quickly. She gasped and her heart dropped at the picture she saw. Whatever Buffy would have to fight to get Xander back, and whatever Xander was doing…committing, while under the affects of this thing, was her fault.

**

Rhonda watched Buffy walk out of the library with a determined stride and growled. _She_ was the reason that she had been exiled from her pack. _She was why Xander had told her to leave, and now she was fending for herself._

The dark haired girl tightened her grip on the object in her hand and started after the small blonde. She'd been on her way running from the gym, seething at the situation, when she had passed the gym equipment locker, wide open. She hadn't really thought about it much beyond the fact that in a pack there was one alpha female – and in hers she was the only female at all. It was her position. And this nobody, this outsider, had, without even trying, displaced her from her throne. If she wanted it back she would have to fight for it, Rhonda had reasoned, when she hefted up the steel baseball bat out of the pile of sporting goods.

But there was something else, and she knew it. It was why she had picked up a weapon in the first place. Her opponent had something in her. Her competition was strong, and Rhonda could sense it, smell it, taste it even, it was so strong. She knew that she might need some extra strength to even out the struggle. She already had the element of surprise; she smiled to herself while she stalked behind Buffy, getting closer with each step, tightening her grip on the bat accordingly. 

Rhonda checked up and down the hall as it emptied after the sound of the bell. She settled that it was now or never as she saw only a few straggling students left outside classrooms and slipped into swing distance, raising the bat over her shoulder with a sneer…

"That's not smart," Xander growled from behind her, gripping the girls shoulder in a painful vice grip that forced her to lower her arm.

Buffy whirled around at the sound of Xander's voice and saw his taking the metal bat from an ashamed looking Rhonda. The Slayer didn't know what to say while Xander grinned at her and then spoke directly into Rhonda's ear with a harsh whisper. "Why don't you say that you're sorry?" he smiled over her shoulder to Buffy.

Rhonda glanced up but did not meet Buffy's eyes when she spoke, still wincing under the pressure of Xander's grasp. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"You're sorry who?" Xander pressed, shaking her a little.

"Buffy," Rhonda said quickly. "I'm sorry Buffy."

"Good girl," Xander smirked and then shoved her a little ways down the hall, "Now run along and find Kyle."

Rhonda glanced back over her shoulder, but Xander never turned to meet her eyes. He was focused on Buffy and she dropped her head. She hadn't acted quickly enough, and even though she had been given permission to associate with her friends again, she was afraid of what would come when Xander joined them. Rhonda dropped her head again and headed down the hall, not knowing if her stomach was growling because of her fear about facing Xander again, or from hunger, as she followed Kyle's scent easily through the empty hall.

**

Xander eyed Buffy as she stood silently in front of him and tossed the bat dismissively to the side with a loud clatter. "Are you ok?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin that belayed his actual concern.

Buffy cleared her dry throat and nodded. "Yeah," she swallowed nervously under Xander's hooded gaze. He was approaching her as if in the hunt, slow and methodical in his movements, head dropped as he watched her. "Thanks."

He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "Anything for you."

That threw her. That was Xander who had said it, but it wasn't in the tone. And the look in his eyes, the predatory glare, told her that his intention behind the promise was not entirely Xander either. "I've been looking for you," the Slayer steeled herself and spoke evenly, trying to match his new dominating demeanor, and he stopped short of being able to grab at her.

"Coincidence," Xander muttered and studied her eyes. Something in her change in body language had halted him, but not deterred him completely. "I've been looking for you too."

"Good thing you found me first," Buffy bit out with a forced smile as she turned towards the bat on the floor.

"She wouldn't have hurt you," he told her confidently.

Buffy raised her eyebrows doubtfully. "Would you be saying that after she introduced that bat to my head or can you see into the future?"

Xander shrugged, "The future," he replied simply and watched Buffy shirk back some. That was the signal he was waiting for and wasted no time closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms low around her waist.

Buffy's jaw clenched at his move. Normally it wouldn't bother her, but the way he looked at her now told her to be cautious of him. That any lapse in defense could end her up in a situation he didn't want her to be in, but she let him keep his hold on her. She decided that she needed to keep him calm and in her sights for as long as possible in order to ensure his safety. As long as she could keep him away from 'his pack' the picture in the book would not become a reality, and if to do that, she had to let him think that he was in control and she liked it that way, then so be it.

"She didn't want to die," he continued with a shrug, slipping one hand up Buffy's back and combing his fingers through the hair that was falling loose on her back.

Buffy leaned back to look into his eyes after he made the comment, but he didn't pause at it. "Die?" she questioned, trying to sound neutral.

He moved his hand up to the nap of her neck and smiled when he felt Buffy relax slightly, and involuntarily he noticed, under the gentle massaging of his fingers. "They know to leave you alone."

Buffy nodded and pulled back from the encirclement of his arms and grabbed his hand with a smile. She detected the implied threat and had watched how he handled Rhonda, and knew that he was in charge of the rest of them. Buffy figured that she had better play along with him; so at least, she could have the assurance that they would Kyle and them would not do anything drastic without Xander's word. She just had to keep him busy until Giles and Willow figured out how to fix them.

She fixed him with a sweet smile, trying to get him to trust her enough to do what she wanted, while not stepping on his toes, because he obviously thought he was some sort of 'alpha male'. "Lets go to class," Buffy suggested, tugging him a few steps down the hall towards the computer lab.

Xander countered her pull and shook his head slightly in resistance. "I don't wanna," he offered a play pout and stepped forwards again, this time wrapping his arms high around Buffy's shoulders.

She felt him bend down, using his nose to push aside the hair lying on her neck and she tilted her head back away from his mouth before he could kiss her there. "Nun uh," she shook her head slowly and turned in his arms again, mostly because he had arranged his hold on her securely enough for her not to e able to break it without too much of a struggle. "Class," she insisted taking leisurely steps down the hall again with Xander following her slow pace. Buffy was minorly distracted when she felt Xander's lips on her neck while she walked them to class, and she felt him smile against her spine when she swallowed under the light tracings of his tongue.

He pulled his head back when they reached the closed door of the room and halted her movement. "No class," he protested again, letting one of his arms fall from her shoulder and slip down her front. He laughed at the shocked gasp Buffy released when he grabbed her breast nonchalantly, but pouted when she quickly broke the contact by ejecting herself from his arms.

Buffy was fuming when she had turned to face her friend and her fist clenched in anger at what he had just done, but when she whirled to face him the reality of the situation reasserted itself. She saw his pout, a façade put up over his indifference at her withdraw as if he were completely unaware that he had done anything wrong at all, and she was reminded that she wasn't talking to her friend – wasn't trying to get Xander to go to class. She was dealing with something, for all intents and purposes, that was on par with a vampire. The Slayer's stomach quaked at that analogy and she felt another wave of anger rise up towards the red head she had left in the library. This thing she was dealing with was just wearing her Xander's body, and if she scared him off now she could loose him completely.

"Listen," Buffy sighed, calming herself down and plastering on another smile. "Why don't we go to class," she suggested as she stepped closer to him and gripped his arms, pulling them securely around her waste, "and work on this," she tapped his temple lightly. "And then," she smiled suggestively up at him, "when that's over, we'll go somewhere quiet and work on this," she finished by running her hands slowly down his chest and to the waste band of his pants, gently curling her fingers just over the edge underneath.

Xander growled deep in his throat and was about to offer his refusal of her plan to go to class first by simply pulling her down the hall, but she must have read his mind because she had extracted herself from him once again and had tugged him into the room. He looked around suspiciously at the kids seated at the desks and sneered slightly. He hated being surrounded by so much physical inadequacy, especially when there was better uses of his time, he thought as he cast a glance to Buffy while she pulled him to a table near the back of the room. He forced a grin when the blonde turned to smile at him and he slumped down into his seat.

Buffy looked at him, reading his anger and restlessness at his current location and moved closer to him, whispering into his ear softly. "This'll be so worth it," she promised him and caught his almost devious smirk that broke out on his face. He turned to face her, but Buffy pulled back just in time to miss the contact that his move would have created. She wanted to tease him just enough to keep him interested, and keep him in crowded places enough to not have to follow through – at least not until he was him again.

Xander looked at the side of Buffy's face while she typed on the keyboard on the desk and let his hand fall to her thigh, running it up and down in long strokes until it wandered up past where she could ignore and turned to face him. He just held her gaze, not speaking his intentions, and literally heard her heart beating despite the noise in the room. Buffy's jaw shook as she let her hand fall atop his as it moved on her thigh and stopped the movement, sliding it down until it rested on her knee. "Class," she whispered sternly, and Xander shrugged at her.

"Whatever…"

"Hey, Buffy," a male voice sounded and Xander slit his eyes as he watched Jeff take a seat on the edge of the table on Buffy's side.

She cast Xander a quick glance, reading his confrontational mood at the other boy's appearance, and then turned to Jeff. She needed to get him out of there in order to avoid a confrontation that she could feel her friend gearing up for through the tension that was now pouring off if him.

"Yeah?" Buffy asked, trying to sound indifferent. 

Jeff swallowed and looked down at the blonde girl and her…lap dog, was the best word he could think of to define Xander. He hated the kid now. Ever since he had told him that he wanted to ask Buffy to Winter Fest he had been all over her, just to spite him. But just because Harris seemed to have attached himself to Buffy's hip didn't mean that they couldn't still hang out. "I, uh…I…"

"I…uh…I…" Xander mimicked with a chuckle. "Wanna get that sentence out."

Jeff shot his teammate a glare and noticed the location of his hand as it had reclaimed it's position on Buffy's upper thigh. He darted his eyes between the girl and her friend and chose to keep speaking. "I'm having this thing on Saturday night," he stated clearly and looking directly into Buffy's eyes, "You should show."

"A thing?" Buffy's eyebrow raised and felt Xander's grip tighten beside her.

Jeff shrugged and dropped his voice an octave. "Well, my parents are going AWOL so…never look a gift house in the mouth." He laughed a little bit, "So, can I expect you?"

Xander snorted out loud and sat up straighter in his chair, "She's busy…"

"Are you?" Jeff asked Buffy. "It's probably going to last a while, I'm sure you could at least stop by for a few minutes. It'd mean a lot to me."

Buffy glanced to Xander and found him continuing to eye Jeff, "I have to check. I think I…I have some things to take care of, I mean…" 

Jeff swallowed nervously "And here I got up the courage to ask you without Cordelia…"

Buffy gave him a genuine grin and she continued. "We can try," she offered hopefully, dropping her hand to Xander's and discreetly moving it back down to her knee.

"We." Jeff nodded and stared into Xander's large condescending smile. "Alright," he settled. "I'll be expecting you guys." He slit his eyes at Xander but spoke to Buffy and smiled at her, "I'll give you a call with the deets."

"Ok," she nodded.

"Right." Jeff tapped the table with his finger and pushed himself up. "I'll see you around, Buffy." She nodded at him as he walked away. 

"How'd he get your number?" Xander asked, drawing Buffy's attention away from watching the other boy retreat back to his table.

She picked up the disapproving undercurrents in his questioning tone, "Probably from the team directory or something – or maybe from Cordelia," she answered without thinking. She cursed the fact that she didn't anticipate the situation well enough to maneuver her way around it because the next thing Buffy knew she saw a sneer spread across his dark features just before he pushed himself out of the seat.

"I'm outta here," Xander huffed and headed for the door at a brisk pace.

"Xan!" Buffy called, drawing the stares of her classmates as she pushed herself out of her seat, "Shit."

"Sorry I'm la…" the teacher, Ms. French, was cut off when Xander collided with her shoulder on his way out of the room. "Alright," she turned and spoke to his back when he didn't stop to acknowledge her in the doorway. "It had better be an emergency Mr. Harris!"

Ms. French turned into the classroom with a good natured smile on her face, only to be forced to jump put of Buffy's way as she headed for the door. "Ms. Summers'," she called out before Buffy could escape, but the Slayer only slowed her pace.

"Sorry Ms. French," she gave a shaky grin while trying to work out an excuse on the move. "I forgot my…computer…controller," she offered while moving her hand around as if she were using a joystick. "It's in my locker; I'll be right back…"  Buffy didn't stop for a response before she turned and headed out of the room, letting the door shut behind her. 

Buffy scanned the now empty hall for signs of Xander and hoped that Ms. French was as cool as she had made herself out to be earlier in the year. She couldn't afford having the school call her parents and tell them about her running out of class – and she had actually intended on going to that one, too.

She headed slowly down the hall, examining the closed doors and sighed. He had probably already found the others and they were probably ripping each others heads of as she though. Buffy sighed and turned to head back to the library, needing to find out what she should do next from Giles, but stopped when she spotted the door of the Faculty Room propped open. The Slayer narrowed her eyes and crept towards the room, softly pushing open the door the rest of the way when she reached it.

Empty.

Buffy shook her head and studied the room that she had put Herbert in earlier that day, but now only found his mangled cage left on the table in the center. She approached it and picked up one of the bones scattered about the surface of the wood. "They are strong," she exhaled, sifting her fingers through the pig's remains. She had been afraid for her friend before, but looking at the bent and broken cage put things in a perspective that was all too real.

"He was a cute little guy," Xander said from behind her and Buffy whipped around to face his calm voice, the bone she was hold clattering to the floor in the process. "We'll all miss him." He sighed and shut the door softly behind himself, starting slowly toward her.

"Xander," she breathed and shook her head to clear it. She had never known him to be able to sneak up on anybody like that, especially not her since she had become the Slayer. Add to that the fact that he had shut the door and seemed to be stalking towards her and she was on red alert, trying to read what his next move would be; but unfortunately she was coming up empty – his eyes belaying nothing outside of an obvious intent to make her earlier promises good, and she tried to back up a step. "You scared me."

"I know," he said simply and stopped in front of her. 

Buffy sighed and shook her head at his response, "Why'd you leave class?" she tried, trying to keep her distance as well as keep the conversation light.

He licked his lips slowly and watched his friends eyes dart to them momentarily. She was probably thinking the same thing that he was – it had been way too long…she wanted him and he knew it. "Same reason you left to follow me."

Buffy let out an uneasy laugh, "If I were following you, you wouldn't be behind me." Xander shrugged at her and closed the distance between them. Buffy tensed involuntarily, but relaxed when instead of reaching out to touch her, his hand grazed pass her side and settled on the tabled behind her, leveraging himself to lean into her. "Look," she huffed and slid out from in front of him to the side. "This is ridiculous."

"I agree," Xander cocked his head to the side and eyed her, starting towards her again slowly. Silently backing her up across the room with a devious smirk in place.

"Well, good," Buffy nodded and licked her lips nervously – Xander's eyes locking on hers, just as she had forced herself not to do to his. "Lets just go to the library. We need to see Giles."

Xander shook his head coolly. "You promised me something," he raised one eyebrow. 

The Slayer saw the wall behind her and realized that she had to act now, or be backed into a corner literally. "Let's just go to the library," she tried again. "We need to talk."

"You said a quiet place," Xander reiterated in a completely non-menacing voice despite his inconspicuously threatening actions. "I gotta admit, I'm kinda anxious to see how you're going to take care of this," he smirked and unfastened his belt in one swift move.

"Whoa!" Buffy gulped and tried to side step him out of the trap he was trying to back her into. He matched her move to the right and she quickly faked to the left to evade him, but he caught that move as well; keeping her back to the wall. Buffy set herself and prepared for her last ditch move in this situation, giving no warning before she jumped at him, sending them both to the ground with her straddling his stomach, but effectively clearing the path to the door. She utilized her superior strength and grabbed his arms, pinning them to his sides. They needed to get to Giles and he had to listen to her long enough to understand why.  

Before Buffy could talk she found herself looking down at Xander's satisfied smirk. He held her eyes and shifted his hips up against hers, rocking slightly, and she knew that she had not considered this plan nearly enough. Xander smiled at her loss of concentration and peered up at her, "Knew you were waitin' to jump my bones."

**

Rhonda kept her head down as she approached the steps that Kyle and Tor were seated on, but, despite her silence they both turned to face her when she approached. 

The two boys eyed her momentarily before Kyle pushed Tor over and made room for her to sit beside her. "Sorry," she muttered, keeping her eyes locked ahead. 

"S'alright," Tor offered unemotionally while Kyle just sighed. 

"Have you seen Xander?" he asked instead, locking his eyes with hers defiantly. Almost as a teat to see if she still belonged with them.

"Yeah," she swallowed, finally raising her gaze to meet both of theirs for a short moment. "He was inside with Bu…"

"You three!" Mr. Flutie announced loudly as he approached them. He had been looking for them all morning, and now it wasn't just for skipping class – although he'd get them for that, too. "Where's Harris?" he asked when he reached them.

"What?" Kyle asked with a defiant smirk in place. 

Mr. Flutie fumed, "Oh, don't think I don't know. Now where's Harris?" he challenged their dismissive attitudes. 

Tor raised his eyebrows, "Probably in class," he offered before leaning into Rhonda, sniffing her briefly.

Flutie narrowed his eyes at the troublemakers, but dismissed the answer, "Three kids saw you two outside Herbert's room. You're busted! Yeah! You're goin' down."

"How is Herbert?" Kyle asked looking into the principal's eyes.

"A little crunchy," Tor answered for him with a grin.

The two boys broke into a laugh that Rhonda joined in on despite her confusion as to what was going on, and Mr. Flutie set his incensed glare on all three of the kids. "That's it!" he shouted, now intending on making all three of them pay. Nobody may have seen the girl, per say, but where those two chuckleheads went, she was never far behind. "My office, right now," he demanded to louder more adamant laughter. "NOW!" he pointed back into the school.

Kyle stopped laughing abruptly and stood to his feet, glaring right into the man's eyes before raising his hand behind him to stop Tor and Rhonda's cackles. He broke the stare down and headed inside to where Flutie had pointed and the other two followed, Principle Flutie taking up the rear while he continued to rant. 

"You're gonna have so much detention, your grandchildren'll be staying after school." He sneered at them as he made his way to the front of the line and pushed open his office door.

He reached his desk and leant against the front of it while the teens filed in and stood in front of him, all three keeping their eyes trained to the floor. Mr. Flutie crossed his arms over his stomach and shook his head, "I have seen some sick things in my life! Believe me! But this is beyond the pale! What is it with you people?"

Flutie narrowed his eyes when Kyle raised his eyes to meet his, not offering an explanation but making some sort of high pitched noise in his throat. He let his arms fall to his sides when the other teens followed suit and all of them started mulling around the small office slowly – watching him as the moved in a sort of choreographed stalk.

"Is it drugs?" he pressed, shaking off their behavior momentarily. "How could you? A poor defenseless pig?" Flutie's voice trailed off when he noticed that they had surrounded him, the whining noise that they were all making flooding the room. "What are you doing?"

**

Xander growled low in his throat and shifted his legs, making up for not having the use of his arms with extra thigh muscle and rolled Buffy over onto her back – he used her hesitation a the unexpectedness of the move and reversed their positions, pinning her arms above her head while he peered down at her with a smirk from the cradle of her thighs.

"Get off of me," Buffy demanded harshly when he rocked his hips into hers again and she felt her skirt riding up at his move. She had been uneasy before, but, as she struggled against his grip, she was bordering terrified that he was proving to be a match for her in sheer physical strength. She didn't want to have to go for the check-mate that would undoubtedly end up hurting him, but he seemed bent on pushing his luck.

Xander bent down and ran his tongue over her neck, up the side and to her earlobe which he bit at lightly. "Is that what you really want?" he purred in her ear while she continued to struggle against him – writhing in a way that he really had no problem with, as she was involuntarily countering his movements. "No," he pulled back with a small grin. "We both know what you really want," Xander was content to have the conversation with himself. "What you've been after for months…you want danger, don't cha Slayer?" 

Buffy flinched at the cruel taunt in his voice and shook her head. He was trying to get into her mind – he was succeeding at getting into her mind. She had told Xander before about the calling she heard every night after sun down. Something – some force that pulled her to the hunt now. She had told him that sometimes she didn't feel herself until her was out patrolling the darkness…and this thing had remembered that.

"You like your men dangerous, too huh?" His words came out mumbled against Buffy's chin as she had lifted her head to dodge his kiss. "That why you dig on that Angel guy following you? You like mean guys…maybe meaner than me."

Buffy gasped when he spat the vampire's name out – one thing she had never mentioned to him was her inappropriate fascination with her Protector. It was obviously something Xander had been dealing with on his own, had pieced together based solely on the fact that she had allowed Angel to continue to exist in the town, that she insisted on patrolling with his numerous times. Didn't he stop to realize that maybe she had made that sacrifice for his benefit, for extra protection for his and Willow's safety…

"That's not true and you know it," Buffy argued, sliding back on the floor a little to shift Xander's position against her. "You're in trouble, Xan," she offered when he matched her move, keeping her where he wanted her while continuing to grind against her. "You are infected with some hyena thing; it's like a demonic possession!"

Xander ignored her plea and his jaw shook at the sensations swamping his body, but growled in frustration. He had her right where he wanted her, but he couldn't do anything about it unless he released her hands, undoubtedly setting her free. "Well," he barked, switching his grip and grasping both of her wrists with one hand. He smiled at the change and slid his free hand down Buffy's side until he reached the hem of her skirt and slipped his fingers underneath – skimming the bare skin of her thigh while she increased her efforts to get free. Xander watched her eyes go wide when he hooked his fingers around the waist band of her panties and tugged minutely, "Guess who just got mean," he growled down at her.

**

Mr. Flutie set himself and tried to move calmly behind his desk to put some distance between himself and the kids, but found them matching his movements. "Now, stop that!" he demanded, while they moved to the front of the desk, staring him in the eyes. "You're only gonna make things worse for yourselves," he decided to reassert his authority, "I tell you how this is gonna work: I am gonna call your parents, and they are gonna take you all home."

He reached for his phone, but snatched his hand back in surprise when Tor beat him to it with a swift move, and continued to stare him down. Peering at him with hooded eyes. Mr. Flutie tried to match his gaze, but was unable to withhold his fear mixed with confusion and then gestured with an out stretched hand to be given the phone. 

Tor felt Kyle move behind him and grunt deep in his throat, a low tenor that broke his resolve and he handed over the phone to the principal.

Mr. Flutie snatched it from the boy's hand and huffed out harshly, "Thank you." He reached for the keypad and pulled it to the other side of the desk to dial, but was halted this time when Rhonda tore it away from him and threw it off of the desk, ripping the cord from the wall.

Rhonda's laugh preceded her false apology, but she still smiled menacingly sweetly. "I'm sorry..."

"That is it!" Mr. Flutie shouted, taken aback by her actions…all of their actions. He stormed from around his desk and tried to push his way through Tor and Kyle, who had taken positions in front of him, but Kyle growled and lunged at him enough to startle him back a step. Flutie swallowed in a newly brimmed terror at the boy as he fell back into his seat and watched his with wide eyes. The three kids surrounding him again, now all growling and sniffing him with demonic grins of their features.

Mr. Flutie's voice shook as his eyes darted between the three disturbed teens, "You're about this close to expulsion, people!" He pushed himself back up from his rotating chair and faced Kyle. "I'm willing to talk to the school counselor, and we can discuss options..."

He tried to get past them again, but Rhonda pushed him backwards again, sending him back into the chair, and he was distracted from responding when Tor climbed onto his desk and growled openly at him, the boy's teeth bared in his face.

"Get down from there this instant!" Flutie demanded through a set jaw. He had been briefed on how to handle drug addicted students, but had never once been presented with how to act in a situation like this. He tried to remain calm, but he was becoming genuinely scared of these kids.

Rhonda used his divergence in attention and moved to the principal's side, snapping her hand out and racking her nails down the side of his face.

Flutie whipped around to face her, his hand covering his face before withdrawing it and studying the blood that had coated his fingers. "Are you insane?!" he asked her with wide eyes, finally allowing the pure terror to leak from his voice.

Tor watched him focus on Rhonda and took the opportunity to jump on him from the desk. Kyle smiled and tilted his head to Rhonda who laughed and jumped onto the principal after Tor, Kyle right behind her.

Kyle didn't wait to see what Tor of Rhonda was doing; he simply bit into a free space on the man's abdomen – tasting the blood in his mouth while screams echoed the room from their joint attacks as they fed.

**

Xander dropped his nose into the crook of Buffy's neck and traced her jaw with the tip of his tongue, and he heard her sigh – a mixture of frustration and a sort of welcome approval…egging him on. "Do you know how long..." he punctuated with a thrust of his hips, and let the hand under her skirt wander to the front, "I've waited... until you…"

Buffy swallowed when his hand probed between her legs and she used his break in concentration the break her hands free of his grasp and throwing him off of her. She jumped quickly to her feet and faced him with a hard stare, trying to straighten her clothing without taking her eyes away from him. Xander dropped his head while he stood up to face her, he didn't waste any time by being put off at her rejection and approached her fluidly. 

"Until you..." he was breathing slightly panted breaths while he resumed his task in backing her across the room, "Stop kidding yourself that we won't be together? You just keep playing these games…leading me on and taking what you want…"

Buffy shook her head at his accusations. No matter what he was saying about her indecisiveness, one thing was clear. And that was that Xander could give a rat's ass about her not being his official girlfriend right now. That was blazingly clear as she glanced down at the slight tenting of the front of his pants and took another step back. "Look, Xander," the Slayer cut him off, "I don't wanna hurt you..."

He startled her by grabbling the unsuspecting Slayer by the shoulders and slamming her back against the vending machine, ending her speech by actions. "Now do you wanna hurt me?" he taunted while looking directly into her eyes while they tried to focus on the room again.

Buffy shook her head to clear it of the stars that sprung up when the back of her head connected with the soda machine. She struggled against his hold, but Xander held her in place, seemingly using no exertion to counter her efforts.

"Come on, Slayer," Xander breathed again, his dark eyes searching hers, then scanning over her face while he pinned her body back with his. "I like it when you're scared."

Buffy's continued to struggle, weighing her remaining options in the situation. He was definitely going to do something that they both would regret if she didn't stop him, and she realized that whatever had been left of Xander throughout the day so far had melted away into nothingness now. "You don't want this, Xan," Buffy pleaded with him as he continued to push her. "Not like this…"

Xander ignored her voice completely, "The more I scare you," he took a deep breath just above her head, "the better you smell." He dove in, not wasting anymore time and forced his mouth onto hers, kissing her roughly and forcing her to move with him.

Buffy cursed that his kiss wasn't completely one sided and she pulled back breathlessly. "Xander stop it," she swallowed deeply and turned to escape another kiss. "You know you don't want it like this." She could only hope that there was an ounce of humanity left in her friend – something that she could still appeal to…

Xander grabbed her shoulders again and growled in increased frustration. "You're right," he sneered and tossed her easily from the machine and across the room. Buffy stumbled with the harsh movement and stopped herself short of tumbling over the backrest of the couch Where the fuck is the faculty?! she screamed to herself, just wanting a diversion.

"I want it like this." Xander was leaning over her back before she could stand up again and he grabbed her ass roughly through her short skirt.

Buffy slipped her leg around his and locked it between his from behind; pulling roughly and causing him to stumble back in the table. She thought she had a chance to breathe, but Xander was back upright in a second. 

He grabbed her viciously and swung her around again, this time bending her over the table that was formerly behind them and covered her back with his body again. Buffy clenched her eyes shut when he didn't waste any time sliding his hand back under her skirt and she felt the waste band of her underwear tear after a hard tug.

Buffy's jaw clenched angrily and she forced herself away from the table with a hard shove and sent Xander stumbling backwards. She had had enough and there was no more talking to him…she quickly snatched up a text book she saw lying idle on the table and turned to face him. She aimed before she turned and as not to waist any time and flinched as the flat of the heavy book connected solidly with her friend's temple, turning him around before sending him to the floor.

The Slayer stood, book raised, and still on the defensive while she waited for him to push himself up, but it didn't happen. Xander stayed face down on the linoleum floor and Buffy swallowed before tossing the book aside.

"I'm sorry, Xan," she muttered to him as she ducked beside him and rolled him onto his back. She studied his relaxed features, a drastic contrast to the uniform devious grin he had been sporting earlier, and grinned to herself before running her fingers through his hair. Unconscious Xander was her Xander. Buffy sighed and gripped his forearms to pull him into a sitting position. She took another deep breath and hefted his limp frame onto her shoulder, only struggling briefly with his bulky dimensions before hurrying out of the room and back to the library.

~*~*~

Willow was watching footage of feeding hyenas – tearing into a mutilated carcass - on the computer monitor with a morbid fascination. She couldn't believe that anybody would ever want to invoke this type of power for anything, let alone that Xander was running around with the potential to carry this type of carnage out. But according to what Giles had found, he was heading for this fast. Hopefully, Buffy had had some luck…

She looked up when the blonde in question huffed her way through the swinging doors, and jumped to her feet when she saw her carrying Xander over her shoulder.

Buffy winced and tried to walk faster. While she could support Xander's weight it was straining her neck and there was a shooting pain from her arm on up, "Hurry up," she bit out in more discomfort than anger, "We gotta get him locked up somehow before he comes to."

Willow ran to the cage and flung open the steel door a worried look in her eyes, "Oh, my God! What happened?!"

Buffy huffed out a breath and slid Xander onto the floor inside the cage as gently as possible, so as not to cause him anymore physical damage, "I hit him," she admitted while arranging him in a comfortable position.

"With what?" the redhead asked while eyeing their unconscious friend while Buffy passed her and walked back into the room.

"Book." Buffy mentioned not looking back. "Shut the cage," she told Willow while she slumped into her vacated seat and watched the loop of the hyena video that had been playing on the screen. "He tried his hand at felony sexual assault," Buffy said absently and heard the clang of the door closing and locking in place.

Willow faced her with an upset look plaguing her wide green eyes, "Oh, Buffy, the hyena in him didn't..." She knew that there was a clear difference between normal Xander and this one, and she could read by Buffy's quiet demeanor that the Slayer knew too – but was having a more difficult time distinguishing the two.

Buffy sighed and shook her head, "No. But it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti." She watched as Willow approached her and sat in the seat across from her. "Hopefully that oughtta hold him," she glanced back at Xander lying on the floor in the cage before turning back to her friend, "Where's Giles?"

Willow trained her vision to the boy in the cage, her tone mirroring the dejected look in Buffy's eyes. "He got called to some teacher's meeting," she said recalling vaguely, but then jumped back to Xander's fate, "What are we gonna do? I mean... how do we get Xander back?"

Buffy was about to answer, uncertain of a plan, but sure that something needed to be done right away when Giles entered the library again – a sort of lost look clouding his face.

Buffy sighed and tucked some of her fallen hair behind her ear before speaking "I got him outta the situation," she gestured back to Xander, "Right now I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack are up to."

Giles spoke up and let his weight fall to his hands as he leant between Buffy and Willow against the table. "The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office."

"Good!" Willow exclaimed happily – the situation finally getting under control "That'll show 'em." But her expression faltered at Giles' silence and she swallowed, "Did it show 'em?"

Giles exhaled a deep breath but remained silent, his brow furrowing as he searched for what to say.

Buffy spoke up first, her voice holding a grave inquisitiveness. "They didn't hurt him, did they?"

Giles turned to look her in the eyes. This girl may be immature at times, but every now and then something would break through. Something that told him that innocence was fast fleeing and any attempts at joking or making light were mere exercises to try to keep that from happening completely. To protect herself from being drained by this world too quickly – times like this. "They, uh..." Giles shook his head and broke their gaze, "Ate him."

Willow slumped back hard in her seat, eyes wide and focused ahead and Buffy's expression matched hers. Both trying to process what Giles had just told them.

"They ate Principal Flutie?" Buffy asked her question saturated with a flood of childlike wonder at what evils were in the world.

Willow repeated her question, still not looking directly at anybody, "Ate him up?

Giles nodded and removed his glasses, cleaning them studiously, "The, uh, official theory is that wild dogs got into his office somehow. There was no one at the scene."

"But Xander didn't," Willow added hopefully and spoke to Buffy who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "He, he was with you."

Giles turned and noticed a still unconscious Xander locked in the cage. "Oh!" he said relieved, "Uh, well, that's a small mercy."

Buffy turned serious, turning to look at the boy in the cage while speaking to her Watcher, "Giles, how do we stop this? How do you trans-possess someone?" As the Slayer she couldn't stand idly by and let people be killed – and she couldn't and wouldn't let that burden fall on any of her friend's shoulders, especially not his.

Giles shook his head, "I-I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces." He headed back to the desk and pulled out the book he had studied earlier. "Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground," he explained to the girls, "There is some talk of a-a-a predatory act, but the exact ritual is, is, um...The Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which... may apply..." He thumbed through the bookmarked pages unaware of the lost look in Buffy's eyes before he found what he was looking for, "Yes, one, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."

"Oh, that's great." Buffy sighed sarcastically, "Any volunteers?"

Giles didn't catch her unspoken joke while his mind worked through the situation feverously, "Oh. Good point."

Buffy shifted restlessly in her chair, about to stand but deciding against it. She simply crossed her arms over her stomach, "What we need to do is put the hyena back in the hyena."

Giles nodded at her logic, but recognized that it was easier said that done, "We just need to know more, uh..."

Buffy spoke up again, having connected the dots before he could complete his thought, "Betcha that zookeeper could tell us," she quirked an eyebrow to Willow. She had seen the possession happen – had been there at the scene… she knew just as much about what happened first hand as Buffy did, and her perspective would need to be put to use in order to get everybody back to normal. To get her best friend back. "Maybe he didn't quarantine those hyenas because they were sick," she suggested.

Giles nodded to her when he saw her waiting for his approval. "We should talk to him."

Buffy nodded, actually fighting the itch to run out after the weird man who had called her illiterate and beat him for bringing this crap into her town. "Okay. I need to change, then I'm gone," she told them, standing up slowly, now more aware than before of Xander's actions in the faculty room. She headed briskly for the doors but stopped just as she reached the exit and turned to face her Watcher and friend. "Oh, wait, somebody's gotta watch Xander." She locked eyes with Giles. Buffy had been hoping that he would be able to drive her to the zoo, but he seemed like the most formidable match for Xander should he wake up…

"I will." Willow interrupted her thoughts and stood up to face the Slayer. "I mean…this…he went it after…"

Buffy shook her head, dismissing her friend's guilt trip simply because she didn't have time to deal with it. "Will, are you sure?" she asked skeptically. Willow couldn't even face her with complete confidence right now – and Xander had managed to shake her with some of the things he had said. "If he wakes up..."

Willow gulped and held her hand out for the keys to the cage, "I'll be alright," she assured. "Go."

Buffy hesitated for a moment but dropped the keys into Willow's awaiting hand. She had a zookeeper to rough up for information, and she knew she would do it with lighting quick accuracy. She didn't have time to waste messing around with this man, and then she'd be right back. Nothing could happen in the half hour she set aside before she would have her Xander back – Willow would be fine here by herself for that time. 

"Go get the car," Buffy turned to Giles and spoke decisively, causing the older man to jump into action. "I'll go get some sweats and meet you outside."

Willow watched the Slayer and Watcher leave the room before turning to face Xander in the cage. She swallowed and slipped back into her seat at the table and pulled a book over to continue researching and set the key on the table beside her as she settled into the quiet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 1c


	4. Up Over Everything 1d

Title: Up Over Everything (1d/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite her husband's assurances to the contrary Sue Duncan felt fat. She had been extremely athletic all through her life, and when she became pregnant that had changed. Sue had and still did consider her little boy a blessing, but she knew that after four months of squeezing her baby fat into pair after pair of khakis while her leather pants hung idle, it was time to get back on her game.

Her husband Jared had been less than enthusiastic about her decisions to resume her nightly runs through the park at first, but eventually he had given in – even buying her a joggers stroller to push their baby in while she worked out just last week. She was bent on looking good in her spandex again, nothing would stop her.

Sue breathed in the cool dusk air and felt her pony tail bouncing from side to side, sweeping over her ears while she concentrated on the steady beat of her heart and the breaths she was taking. She had left her walkman at home in favor of being able to hear her son cry if that were to occur, but so far he seemed to be taking after his mother in his love of the out doors.

She gripped the handle bars of the stroller and turned a corner in the path, her eyes focused ahead and her brow furrowed at what she saw. Sue slowed her pace further when she recognized the object on the ground to be a foot protruding form underneath a nearby shrub and she headed curiously towards it, knowing deep down that something wasn't right.

She peered around the bush and gasped – stopping three bodies huddled in mass on the ground, and she reached into one of the utility pockets on the stroller for her cell phone. A low growl distracted her from her action, however, and she turned with frightened eyes to find herself being glared at by one of the teenaged boys as he had hopped up on his hunches and faced her with hooded eyes.

Sue let out a shaky breath and withdrew the stroller quickly while the other two kids hopped to defense as the first had done, all three growling and crawling towards her. She panicked as she backed up, almost tripping over her own feet in her retreat and her eyes fastened on their faces. Wild eyes, drool spilling from all their mouths and she turned and ran – not jogged, ran away as fast as she could.

Kyle watched the woman flee, the scent of her fear lingering in the sir behind her and moved back to his former position behind the bush, Rhonda soon joining him and laying her head against the back of his thigh. He kept his eyes open and watched Tor's fascination with the woman while he growled at fading footsteps as she disappeared into the distance before he crawled back behind the bush and collapsed in a heap at Rhonda's feet.

~*~*~

Xander's head throbbed and he knew that he was waking up. The intense throbbing pain told him the consciousness was right around the corner. He vaguely remembered being in the faculty room with Buffy. 

Buffy That was his first thought when he opened his eyes and lifted his head a little bit. He'd teach that bitch to fuck with him. He'd tried to give her an option – fought his urges tooth and nail to win her over. Hell, she was already his, why should she have a problem with it…but she had rejected him repeatedly…had beat him unconscious and refused to be claimed. Xander's mind burned with anger and he winced while trying to set himself to sit up. He was going find her and take what he wanted – no more options, no more games.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked at his new surroundings. A cage. Buffy locked me up. Xander ran his hand through his hair and looked at the library through the meshed bars of Giles' book return cage to the darkened expanse of the library. The sun had set, not too long ago he seemed to know instinctually, and his stomach rumbled a little. But, he ignored it, he had more pressing issues than food – he had to find him mate and make her understand a few things, and more importantly he had to get out of her ill imposed lock up.

Xander stood silently to his feet and recognized that there was nobody left in the room safe Willow, who was sitting with her back to him at the table. He knew from her obliviousness of her surroundings and the way she looked so meek just sitting at the desk that this would be an easy feat. He'd be out in no time, especially not with the Slayer anywhere present – he knew that Buffy was long gone because he couldn't even catch her scent strongly in the air. Oh yeah, he was in the clear…

Willow was half focused on the computer screen and half looking out of the window situated high on the wall behind the reference desk. She had been watching with increasing terror the video of the hyenas feeding on the planes and trying to calm her nerves by studying the red melting into a bluish black as the sun set outside. She was trying not to focus on the amount of time Buffy had been gone but she was a little but relieved that Xander still seemed to be down for the count – leaving Willow to wonder just how hard the Slayer had hit him and with what book.

"Willow," Xander whispered harshly, his voice still clouded from his unnatural sleep. "Willow."

Her head snapped up at the sound of Xander's voice behind her and she turned to face him. She swallowed nervously and didn't stand to approach the cage – her mind swimming with Buffy's warning to stay away from him. "How are you feeling?" she ventured.

Xander ran his hand through his hair again and stopped when he was cradling the side of his face, letting out an uncomfortable sigh before speaking, "Like somebody hit me with a really heavy book." He set a neutral expression and tried to keep his voice as non-threatening as possible in hopes of gaining the redheads trust. His dark eyes surveyed the room slowly, "What am I doin' here?"

Willow faced him and stood to approach the cage, sympathy oozing from her tone and demeanor, "You're... resting?" she nodded encouragingly. 

Xander shook his head, disbelievingly and scowled at her. He grinned internally when her hopeful expression fell, "You guys got me locked up now." 

Willow jumped to deny him by justifying his captivity, "'Cause you're sick. Buffy said..."

"Oh, yeah," Xander interrupted and slipped his fingers through the holes in the cage, "Buffy and her all-purpose solutions lately: punch 'em out 'n' knock 'em down. I'd love to see what she'd do to somebody who was _really_ sick." He had reformulated his plan and hoped that it would work to his advantage – play Willow off of the blonde, knowing full well that she had feelings for him as well as the fact that regardless of contrary actions and behaviors the two girls still engaged in a sort of covert competition with each other over his attentions. Xander knew that he had moated Willow earlier, but maybe it wasn't too late to rebuild that bridge…make her think that his choice of Buffy wasn't so cut and dry and he had made it seem before.

Willow shook her head and missed the contemplative look that spread over Xander's dark features at her quick denial, "That's not fair. Buffy saved your life."

Xander snorted and reset his plan, deciding that a little more convincing would be necessary to convince Willow to stray from Buffy's flock. Maybe things between the girls were better than he had anticipated recently, but that didn't mean rifts couldn't be reopened and exploited, "Before she became the Slayer my life didn't need that much saving," he mused rhetorically. "Weren't things a lot simpler for you too? Before we had to take on her burden?" He peered out at her and watched Willow drop her eyes in thought.

They were. Things were simpler for her, but Buffy had been the Slayer since she had gotten there – that had been regular as far as she was concerned. And Xander always seemed willing to help – to do anything to reduce her supernatural load, and she had wanted to help to, but… "Maybe..."

Xander dropped his head momentarily to hide his smirk and his victory…he had her buying his game now. "See," he pointed out, "I can relate to you." He smiled back at her warm grin, "I can always talk to you Wills, that's why you're one of my best friends."

"Xander…"

"No!" he shook his head and cut off her statement, filling his voice with a somber tone. "I can't talk to anybody but you anymore – I don't have anybody that challenges me to think. I mean, Buffy…" he trialed off with an audible snort, "Buffy is great to look at, but she's not much…" he tapped his head and shot her a comforting smile.

Willow smiled in spite of herself.  Not at his joke, but at that fact that his comment had just tipped her off. He wasn't trying to have a heart to heart with her; she knew that for sure because Xander wouldn't say that about his best friend. He was trying to get her to do him a favor, to win her over and thus gain his freedom.

"But I know I'm not the only one who thinks that," he continued, "Who knows how many other guys…" he trailed off and shook his head to refocus, his own stomach clenching at what he was forcing himself to imply – he hated even thinking that about his mate. "When we are alone together...Sometimes I feel…" Xander faced her with pleading eyes, "Willow, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's gettin' worse. But I can't just stand around waitin' for Buffy to decide it's time to punch me out again." He watched her as she took another step closer to the cage, and let out a harsh breath, "Look, I want you to help me. I want you."

Willow narrowed her eyes at him and stopped moving, ducking her head to avoid his piercing gaze, "I am helping you."

Xander shook his head negative, "You're doing what you're told," he challenged. He knew that she hated that when people saw her they asked where Buffy was. She hated being called 'Buffy's little friend', hated that her identity since Percy's death had been Buffy's quintessential lapdog. 

"Buffy's trying to help you, too," Willow's voice shook while under her friend's mental assault. "You know that. You know that she's doing everything she can for you – that she loved you. Or Xander does."

Xander growled in frustration and rolled his eyes. He felt himself slipping back to square one. "Yeah..." he snorted, "Buffy's so selfless. Always thinking of me. Well," he shot at her in a daring tone. "If I'm so dangerous, how come she left you alone with me?"

Willow looked him in the eyes again, "I told her to."

"Why?"

The redhead guard shrugged her shoulders, "'Cause I know that she had to go find out how to save you, and she needed Giles to help... and I wanted to be here to see if... you were still you."

Xander shot her a grin that Buffy had warned her of being his trade mark – his head tilted and innocent glee exuding his features, "You know I am. Look at me." She dodged his eyes when he focused on her face and he tilted his head to catch gaze. "Looook," he insisted with a slight whine.

Willow lifted her head and caught his dark eyes with her own, taking another step closer despite herself. "Xander..." she swallowed. She saw him for a split second. Xander Harris who was always joking and knew the right spot on the soda machine to get her free caffeine before first period. Xander Harris who had devoted two weeks trying to teach her and Buffy to skateboard and who helped both of their parents put away groceries if he was visiting on a Sunday. The real Xander…

He saw her take another step into her reach and his arm shot out through the return slot on the stage as he tried to grab at her.

Willow reacted quickly and jumped out of his reach, a superior but sad grin in place, "Now I know."

Xander hollered in frustration at her withdraw and banged his hands against the steel cage, shaking its whole foundation, "LET ME OUT!" he screamed at her and Willow flinched away, "LET ME OUT!"

**

Fifteen minutes ago he had been thumbing through his notes for his tour the next day. Now his note cards lay scattered about the floor. His quiet office had been shot to Hell when this little girl had taken it upon herself to forgo knocking and simply remove his door from the hinges – a feat he wished he had been outside the office to see.

The zookeeper shifted in his seat under the girl's heated gaze while she stared him down with her arms crossed over her chest. If he thought there was a shot of him getting past her he would take it based on the simply awkwardness of being in the same room with her, but even if he did get past her initially, the old British man she took over his confines with would most likely stop him before he could get out of the door – and he didn't want to be held down for the beating that would pursue.   "The students have been possessed by the hyenas?" he asked with a nervously anxious swallow.

Giles nodded affirmative, "Yes."

"Are you sure?" he pressed. If it were true those incompetent children had succeeded in his task before him, and had stolen his prized essence. He was only half paying attention while he tried to figure out how to round all the blessed teenagers up and extract this prize from them.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "We're really, really sure," she bit out through hard features.

Giles studied the other man's demeanor and made a judgment call, "Y-you don't seem enormously surprised by this."

The zookeeper shrugged dismissively, still single mindedly focused on how to gain control of the situation. "The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was 

something strange about them from day one," he informed his inquisitors, trying to keep himself looking as innocent as possible so as not to draw their suspicions. "I did some homework... That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically they were worshipped by these guys..."

"Primals." Giles filled in. There was not time nor need to review information that he had already gathered, and he could tell by his Slayer's constant fidgeting that she was growing impatient with the unconcerned man as well.

The man continued on oblivious to the body language of the other occupants of the room. "Yeah! Creepy guys!" he exclaimed excitedly – a little enthralled with the prospect of having a conversation with somebody who held the same interest as him in these animals. "Now, they had rituals for taking the hyena spirits, but I-I don't see how that coulda happened to your kids."

Giles shook his head and dropped his gaze, "Uh, we don't know exactly how the ritual works. We know that it involves a, um, um... predatory act and some kind of symbol."

The zookeepers brow furrowed, Predatory act?" he pressed. He hadn't thought of that in his previous endeavors to invoke the hyena spirit – they had found out the key to the spell before him… "Of course. That makes sense. Where did you read that?"

The Watcher ignored the urgency the man used while pressing for the information, "Do you have Sherman Jeffries' work on, on cults and on..."

"Boys?" Buffy interrupted impatiently from the corner of the room. She eyed Giles disbelievingly and tapped her wrist with her finger.

"Sorry," Giles mumbled under the teenagers glare and tried to refocus the conversation on finding the remedy for the situation.

The zookeeper shot Buffy a harsh glare and huffed "Look..."

Giles raised his hand slightly to stop the man's speech, "Sorry," he apologized again.

"Look," he started again, "I think we may have enough information so that together we could pull off a reverse trans-possession."

Buffy stood up and jumped back into the conversation – all business again. "What do we do?"

The zookeeper stood and looked the petite girl in the eyes. She was as eager to reverse this as he was, but for completely different reasons. "We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."

Buffy hesitated and her eyes darted to her Watcher. "W-well," she smiled unsurely we can guarantee one of them, but there are three more, and we have no idea where they are." She ran her mind through all the possible locations that Kyle, Tor and Rhonda could be. But, she settled, if worse came to worse, she had the one who really mattered, and she would carry Xander all the way across town to that hyena cave if necessary to get him back.

The zookeeper's voice interrupted her thoughts, "No," he denied, more to get her to bring the possessed teen to him faster than to quell her own visible worries, "I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest they'll track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."

"Willow!" Buffy's eyes went wide and her exclamation and she fixed her sight on Giles with a frightened stare. Xander was a match for her and she had gotten away because of the sheer luck of spotting that book in time. He would kill Willow if he had rattled the Slayer. 

~*~*~

Willow was watching the hyena footage on the computer again while trying to ignore Xander's ranting. She kept glancing at the clock on the wall above Giles' office while Xander would periodically yell and hit the walls of his confine while he paced. She'd be lying if she weren't getting a little wigged by being alone here with her dark haired possessed friend since he had woken up, and she really wished Buffy and Giles would hurry up and come back.

"Willow..." he bit out finally, attempting to try again.

Willow shook her head, keeping her back to him. "I'm not listening," she sing-songed while the video looped again.

Xander swallowed a new flood of rage that swamped up from his stomach and let his eyes rove the room – a smile breaking out across his features when he picked up a new scent. His eyes settled on the small window set above the main floor of the room and saw Kyle's face appear between the segmented panes, Rhonda's right next to his shortly after. He knew that they would come for him and he fought a laugh so that Willow would remain unsuspecting. 

The redhead looked up at Xander's sudden silence behind her and sighed happily. Good, she congratulated herself He gave up. Yay me with the standing firm…

"Wiiillooow..."

Her eyes went wide at the whispery tenor of her name as it echoed as if from nowhere through the library and she pushed herself up form her seat. "Buffy?" she tried shakily, hoping against hope, but knowing that it was just a wish. She whirled around to face Xander, who was watching her with a bright smile cracking his features while he stood deathly still and she started backing towards the cage, her eyes trained to the space in front of her where the voice was coming from, hearing her name called again. 

"Shut up!" she ordered Xander when he started hitting the cage again, startling her from behind and her name continued to be called. Terrified Willow's attention was drawn back to the window when she heard the glass shatter and rain down on the floor while Xander became even more agitated, but not even she could react fast enough when Kyle squeezed himself through the window and dropped lithely into the room. 

Willow was for once happy to be ignored while the other boy headed directly for Xander's cage, Rhonda and Tor following the path he had cleared and trailing him to the cage single mindedly focused of freeing their pack mate.

Kyle watched out of the corner of his eye as Willow didn't stay to watch the results of their efforts as she turned and ran the sound of their combined efforts, banging and tearing at the cage in attempts to free Xander. He hooked his fingers through the mesh of a protruding lump in the cage structure and pulled in counter to Xander's insistent pushing out towards him, and soon Tor joined in his efforts – pulling back a corner of the cage before yanking the whole expanse off and tossing it to the ground.

Xander climbed quickly through the hole and out into the library and was immediately surrounded by his pack – all three circling and sniffing him with comforting whines. He let himself be assessed briefly before breaking the circle they had him in and heading for the doors with a slight head nod for them to follow. He couldn't hear the girl's footsteps anymore as they spilled out into the hallway, but he could smell the terror that was permeating the tiled walls and he sniffed deeply and headed towards the right the other three behind him.

Willow was panting for breath as she came to an intersection in the hallway and stopped. She hadn't been running for long, but the sheer panic had caused her heart to beat out of control and had wasted so much energy going in circles through the familiar halls.

She had been trying various class room doors but found that the majority were locked, and she knew that she was running out of time. She may be trying to keep quiet but her tormentors were stalking her obviously – purely egotistical in the confidence they exuded by the noise they were making. Still laughing…taunting and calling her name. Willow ran to another door and tried the knob…and this time the door flung open. She sighed in relief and slipped inside the classroom and shut it as quietly as possible behind her before dropping to a crouched position and crawling behind the teacher's desk at the opposite side.

The pack moved down the hall, eyes darting in every possible direction while they followed Xander, hot on Willow's scent when they reached the end of the hall. Xander's head snapped up suddenly and his head whipped to the right, peering down another long hall, but before he could react Kyle had ran past him in the opposite direction of the noise he had just heard. The soft click of a door shutting, and a devious smirk spread his features as he moved down the opposite hall.

He heard Kyle stalking down the hall to the left and could see him still searching the darkened rooms and reached out and grabbed Tor's arm, stopping the other boy who was following him in his tracks. Tor eyed him questioningly, but obeyed the silent command and listened again when Xander pointed down the adjoining hallway, signaling him and Rhonda to split up. 

Xander moved by himself towards the door – the sound that only he seemed to have picked up on and reached for the door knob that he had just convinced Tor and Rhonda to walk away from, and turned it – the reek of pure terror spilling out and engulfing him while he took a deep breath. He didn't see anything unusual, but... something…He stalked into the room, eyes narrowed and surveyed the area. He couldn't see anything, but…there was a shiver, a slight clatter. His eyes darted to the desk and he licked his lips, an uproarious laughter bellowing in his mind at the stupidity of this girl. With narrowed eyes be began to back slowly towards the door and shut it behind him, locking himself in the room while he waited – and it didn't take long.

Willow swallowed deeply in relief when she heard the door click shut and the silence that followed as she peered around the edge of the desk cautiously. Seeing no one, she crawled out from underneath and got to her feet, trying to formulate a new plan of action before they came back…if they came back. If they were hungry they probably…

She was cut off by her own scream when she turned to face the door and found Xander grinning callously at her while he relaxed against it. Xander jumped into action with no warning and lunged at her, his smile falling when his lips curled into a frowned growl and she stumbled back into the window blinds.

Xander's teeth were bared as he leapt over a desk to reach her, and another growl of frustration rumbled from him when Willow escaped his attack and ran down the small aisle way to the other side of the room, putting more space and obstacles between them. He leapt again and stumbled over a desk in his way, sending him crashing to the ground and was vaguely aware of her footsteps as she ran out of the room, the sound of the door crashing against the wall telling him that she had gotten free. Xander pushed himself up and started after her, seething with anger – this was not supposed to be a hunt.

Willow panicked and ran blindly through the door and back into the hall, not stopping to see if Xander was alright. Hopefully he had gotten himself knocked out again. But, that was the lease of her worries when she turned the first corner heading back to the library and ran straight into Rhonda who gripped her shoulders in a surprisingly painful hold. The redhead shook and watched with wide eyes as the girl growled and threw her across the hall and her body bounced hard off of the lockers before crashing to the floor. She watched Rhonda stalk towards her, head bobbing in fascination at her alarm while she shut her eyes and prepared herself for the attack that she felt was coming.

"Hey Wills," Buffy's voice ran out suddenly through the hall and Willow's eyes opened even before Rhonda could turn around. The Slayer brought a fire extinguisher down hard on the back of the girl's head and Willow jumped when she crumbled unconscious to her feet. 

She smiled in thankful relief as she pushed herself up and ran towards Giles, who guided her past him just in time to see Xander turn the corner, a vicious anger permeating his stature when he saw Buffy standing in the hall.

"Run!" Giles ordered to Willow when he saw Xander take off towards them with a surprising outburst of speed, and he turned and headed after her down the hall.

Xander fixed his attack at Buffy, ignoring the escape of his previous target while he ran at the blonde girl who had humiliated him earlier. He prepared to leap at her but Buffy stood her ground and kick at him hard before he could reach her, her foot connecting solidly with his stomach and sending him crashing to the tiled floor.

Buffy watched him struggle to get to his feet and tossed the extinguisher aside. She didn't want to use any weapons on him… He was almost to his feet and she prepared to kick him again when her head snapped up at the sound of footfalls coming to a stop and she was faced with Kyle and Tor, both glowering at her from down the hall. 

"Buffy?!"

The Slayer's head turned again at the sound of Giles' voice behind her and she heard his panic.

"Come now!"

The Slayer turned and ran in the direction that he had left with Willow and she could here the boys following behind her. She turned the corner and saw Giles gesturing her hurriedly into an open classroom and Buffy followed, closing and locking the door behind her after they all entered. 

She braced the door with her body when the sounds of the frustrated pounding of the pack followed their retreat – but just as quickly as it started the banging died down and stopped as silence took over the hall again.

Buffy let out a deep breath and stood back from the door, still keeping it locked for the time being, "I think they're going."

"They could be faking it," Willow's voice shook in terrified experience.

Buffy shook her head and reached for the door lock, "No, they're hungry. They'll be looking for somebody weak." Her eyes fell to the floor after the last comment and she faced her friend before turning the lock, "I'm really sorry, Will. I didn't know they were gonna come after Xander."

Willow was still obviously shaken but shook off the apology, "It's okay."

"We must lead them back to the zoo if we're going to stop this." Giles informed Buffy. After that experience he doubted any plan they could devise would be psychically sound for the Slayer to carry out.

Buffy, on the other hand, didn't seem to be thinking about her own safety in the matter. She just needed to get them all back to the zoo. "And before their next meal." She shrugged hoping she could come through if not just for Xander, "Guess that's my job."

"Well," Giles breathed skeptically, not wanting to see her in any harm, "individually they're almost as strong as you. As a group they're..."

Buffy cut him off but faced him with a determined stare, "They're tough," she agreed, "but I think they're getting stupider. You guys go to the zoo and I will bring them to you." The Slayer didn't wait for a response before she flung the door open and started out into the empty hall. She could get them to the zoo – she could count that Xander would come after her since she had something that he wanted and would probably…hopefully distract him from devouring a person, but she had to find where they went first.

**

Chris Anderson was tired of this argument, but she just wouldn't let it go. No matter what he said he just seemed to be digging himself deeper and deeper into this hole, and he doubted that he would be able to hoist himself out of it before the twenty minute drive to his parents' house was up. "I didn't say she looks better than you," he disagreed half heartedly, "I said she looks better."

Chastity Anderson turned her lips into a tight frown as she finished helping their son into the back of the SUV and climbed in the front seat, "I heard what I heard." She glanced at the child out of the corner of her eye and her attention turned immediately, "Joey, chew!" she reprimanded in a sharp tone, "You have to chew or you'll choke!"

Chris shook his head. Sometimes he wondered about his boy – he was always just trying to swallow things. He couldn't even count how many monopoly pieces had disappeared from the set or how many times his wife had sent him careening through the night to take the child to the hospital because of it. Chris decided that for the most part that it was best not to even dwell on it so he continued his conversation with his wife, "I don't see why we have to have this conversation every time we see them."

"I didn't start it," she replied snippily and fastened her seatbelt. 

Chris sighed and gave up, just wanting to get to where they were going and get out of the car. At least when they got to his parents he could disappear into the garage with his brother or melt into the game with his dad. "Damn," he cursed suddenly, his hands roaming his pockets, "Where are the keys?"

Chastity watched him search, "Huh?"

"Joey…"

Both parents' heads snapped up at the sound of their son's name being called in an eerie whisper from outside the car. Joey looked up from the crackers he had been snaking on; confused as he watched his parents scan the area. "Joey…" his name was called again.

The little boy turned his head, detecting the voice from his right and smiled weakly at the face that dropped down from the roof of the car and locked eyes with him through his window.

Chris and Chastity saw the movement from the back and she screamed while Kyle's smile got wider. 

"What going on?!" Chris yelled, leaning into the back seat to face the teen on his car through the still closed window. "Hey! Get off! Get off of there!" He was drawn back when his wife screamed again and watched in awed horror when another boy vaulted up the hood of his car and yet another approached from the opposite side in the back, rocking the car as they began to pound on it forcefully.

Chastity's eyes went wide and she sat confused as her husband when one of the boy's raised his elbow and smashed in the back passenger window, shattering it in one hit.

"Get away!" Joey pleaded from the back with tears in his eyes when the boy who had broken his window turned and curled his lips into a mean sneer.

Xander shook out his arm, ridding his sleeve from any excess glass and heard his stomach growl in anticipation. He stopped for a moment while Kyle and Tor continued to try to break into the other windows and let the mother try to reach back to her crying son, enjoying the display and the tremor in her voice as she called his name to calm him down.

"Joey!" Chastity pleaded while Chris punched at his window in hopes of scaring a pacing Tor away. "It's ok baby…it's ok…"

"Like hell it is," Xander growled and hoped up through the broken window, trying to grab the little boy despite his mother straining to protect him – just managing to pull him far enough away for Xander to get his large frame stuck in the elevated portal.

It was dumb luck that Buffy had heard them. The banging and screaming not two blocks from the school. She had taken off from the hall in a sprint, hoping to catch them before they did something else that they would regret when this was over, and by the sheer coming together of the cosmos she had happened upon Xander's pack just in time.

The Slayer crossed the street quickly, seeing the three boys assaulting a family in a car – Kyle rocking the vehicle from the roof, Tor trying to break through the windshield and a pair of legs that belonged to their leader Xander hanging out of the back window.

Buffy used her silent approach to surprise Tor and pulled him roughly off the hood of the car, sending him sprawling to the ground. She quickly took his position on the hood and briefly saw the confused relief of the two people inside as the recognized somebody swooping into the rescue.

Kyle looked up as Buffy climbed to the roof and he didn't react quick enough to get to his feet, still sitting on his knees, before she executed an in-to-out crescent kick that hit him in the face and he fell off the roof hard. 

Buffy turned her gaze down, still seeing Xander's legs flailing as he tried to push himself further into the vehicle and oblivious to the fates of his pack. She heard the renewed panic in the woman in the car's voice when she screamed again.

"I know both my mom and yours told you not to play with your food, Xander." 

Xander heard her voice and pushed himself out of the car in a fluid movement. He stood to his feet again and looked up, seeing his Slayer standing confidently on top of the car, looking straight in his eyes, challenging him – and he accepted it as he licked his lips with a low growl. 

"C'mon," Buffy teases him with a naught smirk and felt his eyes tracing her every move – even seeing them move with her loose strands of hair when a breeze blew by. "You know what you want." She didn't wait for a verbal response before vaulting over his head and landing on her feet on the side walk, breaking into an instantaneous sprint across town. 

And he did know. He knew exactly what he wanted. Xander waved an uneasy and wobbly Kyle and Tor on took off after Buffy down the street. Knowing that she knew that he was behind her and knowing that he would catch her.

~*~*~

Giles was panting out burning breaths as he slightly trailed Willow when they arrived in an all out sprint. They may have had the use of the car, but he had guessed that if Buffy was going to race the possessed teens on foot, he needed to have this place set up right when she got there – there wouldn't be much time outside of the few minutes they had now.

Willow slowed in front of him, reading the faux wood signs that directed the traffic through the zoo. "The pathway to the Hyena House. Where's the zookeeper?"

Giles looked around the apparently deserted are, "Uh, he must be inside." He shrugged his shoulders, "I-I'll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching."

Willow nodded watched Giles jog away into the cave and turned around nervously to watch and wait for Buffy to get there.

**

Buffy tore through the trees the braches snapping back and whipping at the bare skin on her arms, but she paid the stinging no mind. She could hear Xander and his packs heavy footsteps following her, crunching over the twigs and leaves that littered the floor of the woods. The Slayer was breathing hard, trying to regulate her heart rate to keep up her pace and keep from being smacked in the face by tree limbs while she pushed on.

The pack was practically running on her heals and Buffy pushed herself a little harder. If she fell now it would be over because there was no reading the animals that her classmates had become – but she was the Slayer, and she refused to loose to a bunch of mortal children…she hadn't fought this long for that to be how she went out.

**

Giles ducked under the caution tape and jogged into the main area of the hyena display. He looked around the authentic get up – plastic putty cave walls decorated with various crags and replications of African drawings. He would have thought it quaint if it weren't a sect of evil possession. "Doctor?" he called, suddenly feeling foolish for not having gotten the man's real name, "Uh... Zookeeper?"

He turned suddenly when he heard a door close behind him and saw the man in question approach him – slightly taken aback by the zookeeper's getup. He studied the burlap robe the man was wearing and the blue and white makeup that covered his whole face in an intricate design while he walked towards him holding a long wooden staff. Suddenly his mind clicked, "Oh! Oh, of course, the, uh, Masai ceremonial garb," he recognized, "Yes... Very good. Are you, uh, otherwise prepared for the trans-possession?"

The zookeeper nodded wearing a neutral expression, "Almost."

Giles swallowed and scanned the area of the room again, still not having heard any word from Willow outside and he focused on the markings on the floor. "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um..." his brow furrowed and he trail off in confusion. "This would be here when... when the children first came. Why would you..." The Watcher's small understanding grin fell and he faced the man with a grave and knowing expression. Giles looked at him in his costume and released a shaky breath, "How terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of school children could accomplish what you could not."

The zookeeper shrugged making no attempts at denying Giles' revelation, "It bothered me. But the power will be mine."

Giles tried to match the man's move, but before he could turn the other man moved quickly and brought his staff back and then jammed it forward into his stomach, doubling him over. The Brit didn't have time to regain his wind before the zookeeper used his vulnerable position and brought the blunt end of the staff down on the back of his neck, sending the Watcher to the ground with a dull thud as his world became black.

The zookeeper smirked and tossed the staff to the side of the room before hefting up his loose sleeves. He maintained his smile as he bent and grabbed Giles by the ankles and dragged him off to the side, depositing the unconscious man in the small hallway that was reserved for zoo workers so that he would not be seen. 

**

Willow squinted her eyes and saw rapid movement through the trees, her ears picking up the sound of footsteps muffled by the soft floor of the wood. She saw a flash of Buffy's sweatpants as the Slayer broke out from the trees and hit the pavement for the first time not breaking her stride and Willow turned and sprinted into the cave.

"They're almost here! Giles!" she screamed excitedly as she tore through the tape. "Giles?!" She stopped when she didn't see the Watcher but instead found herself face to face with the zookeeper dressed like some one off of Discovery Channel. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?" she questioned uneasily at the awkward situation.

The zookeeper smiled briefly for the girl's benefit and pointed to just beyond the fenced off area behind him, "They're right here in the feeding area."

Willow nodded and ran to see the hyenas but he reached out and grabbed her forearm stopping her in her tracks.

"Stay back!" he warned in a harsh voice while looking into the redheads wide eyes, "They haven't been fed."

"Where's Giles?" Willow asked again suspiciously, shaking his hand from her arm and stepping back. She didn't like the looks of this situation and the Watcher had yet to make any noise that might signify that he was still present, a fact that didn't settle the young girl's nerves at all, especially with Buffy being hunted and running for her life.

The zookeeper seemed to consider his answer before speaking, "He's... laying in wait."

Willow heard the heavy foot steps from outside getting closer and assumed Buffy had just reached the mouth of the display cave. "They're almost here," she said uneasily while wringing her hands, "Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"

The zookeeper's face broke out in an oddly calm and pleased grin, "When the time is right." He faced her with bright eyes and pulled loose the twin belt that was around his waist. "I'm gonna need your help," he told her as he grabbed Willow and turned her to face him, holding her wrists together and tying them tight.

"They're right behind me!" Buffy shouted and Willow looked up from her now bound wrists to the entrance of the room.

"That's Buffy!" she turned to the man agitatedly, "Get ready!"

The zookeeper nodded and grasped the small girl's shoulders, swinging her around so that she was standing in front of him. "Here," he huffed out a breath and bent to pick up a large curved knife that Willow hadn't noticed was lying at his feet.

Her eyes went wide as the man wrapped one arm across her chest to hold her in place and brought the knife up to her throat with the other. "What is this?"

The zookeeper swallowed and smiled anxiously, "A predatory act, remember?" 

Willow sucked in an aborted breath at the feel of the blade pushing into her skin and spoke uneasily, "Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the 

evil in the hyenas?"

The zookeeper tilted his head, but kept his eyes trained on the entrance of the room, waiting for the girl and the possessed teens to arrive, "Something like that."

Willow shivered in fear when she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. No Giles. The weird costume. Tying her up and now the knife to her throat…He didn't want to help anybody – he had set them all up and seemed more than willing to sacrifice them all in whatever plan he had for Xander and the other members of the unwitting pack. 

Buffy's lungs felt like they were on fire as she burst through the mouth of the cave, expecting to see Giles in the middle of some incantation and some magic stuffs scattered around, but was forced to stop short when she saw Willow being held with a knife to her throat by the zookeeper.

"Buffy, it's a trap!" Willow screamed out, despite her current position and the threat to her life while the Slayer watched helpless with wide eyes.

Her expression didn't hold however, when Xander hurled himself through the mouth of the cave, immediately grabbing the idle Slayer from behind and knocking them both to the dirt floor. Buffy grunted under the surprise impact and then the force that she crashed to the floor with, but could do nothing since he had her arms locked to her sides. She was vaguely aware of additional weight piling on top of her, and definitely of the increase on hot hard breaths falling on her face and the increase in the number of hands roaming her body and she opened her eyes seeing Kyle through her dusty haze. 

"YU BA YA SA NA!" The zookeeper bellowed.

And suddenly all the frantic movement around her stopped.

The pack looked up at the man as soon as the phrase was completed and Willow watched all of their eyes all flash green. The same way she had seen Xander's do the day of the fieldtrip.

She didn't however see the mirroring flash in the man's eyes standing behind her. The zookeeper tilted his face to Willow and growled as he dropped the knife and bared his teeth as if to bite her.

"Willow!" Xander pushed himself off of Buffy and ran through his woozy lightheadedness at his friend. He dove at the man, his arms catching him around the waist as he took them both to the ground again.

Buffy shook herself free of Tor and Kyle, and they scooted back away from her with wide eyes while watching the fight unfold and the Slayer got to her feet. 

The zookeeper broke free of Xander's tackle and was quick to his feet, matching Xander's stance and connecting with the boy's face with a strong cross jab that sent him to the dirt again.

Buffy saw Xander hit the ground, holding his chin as he went and approached the primal zookeeper with an intense anger. "Nobody," she punctuated with a close fisted backhand that connected with the man's nose and she heard a crack. "Hits," she shot an uppercut to his stomach, but he wasn't doubled over long enough to miss her follow up right hand jab, "My boyfriend." 

Kyle and Tor watched the man's face and body snap around under Buffy's assault while Xander crawled over to Willow, and the boys quickly pushed themselves to their feet, turning sloppily and fleeing the cave, tripping over their feet on the way.

The zookeeper continued oblivious to their retreat charged at Buffy, but she countered his bulky mass and knocked him back to the ground by simply shoving down on the back of his neck. He righted himself quickly and hurled himself at her again, and the Slayer utilized her superior strength and tossed him over her shoulder and onto his back. 

Frustrated the man shuffled more slowly to his feet this time and released a low growl, trying to back her closer to the cage fence before lunging again. Buffy anticipated his move, knowing exactly where she stood in the cave and that if he got her, she would undoubtedly be sent into the hyena pit herself. She ducked low just in time for him to not be able to avoid running into her shoulder and then stood quickly, upending him and sending him over the ledge behind her. 

The zookeeper grasped the iron bar before he hit the bottom and was trying to pull himself up when Buffy turned to approach the cage. She swallowed, unsure of what to do, but reached out her hand in attempts to pull him back over and to safety, but before she could grab his hand his grip slacked and she watched him fall into the pit with a loud shriek. Buffy turned away from the edge with wide eyes as the screaming died down and set herself and approached Xander who was untying Willow near the mouth of the cave.

He freed her hands as gently as he could – a drastic contrast to the boy who had chases her thought the halls mere hours before just as Buffy reached them. Willow smiled brightly, happy at the transformation and the blonde matched her enthusiasm briefly before turning a softer smile to her dark haired friend.

"You're bleeding," she pointed out with a worried grimace, her hand drifting up to his face, but he pulled away quickly. 

Xander quaked nervously at his reaction and Buffy's sudden withdraw, thinking that she had done something wrong. "I'll be ok," he informed her quietly, wiping gingerly at his nose, and Buffy nodded minutely.

Suddenly their attention turned to the shuffling noise behind them and they turned to see Giles stumbling out of the hallway holding the back of his head with a painful smirk in place. "Uh," he winced at the sound of his own voice, "did I miss anything?"

Buffy was thankful for the distraction and walked to face her Watcher, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and her immediately leant into her. "Try everything," she gave an exasperated giggle as she helped him out of the cave, casting a quick glance to Xander before starting out in front of them.

~*~*~

Buffy waved to Willow and bounced over to the bleachers in the gym as her practice wrapped up. Despite Cordelia's attempt at conversation with her, probably because Jeff mentioned something to her that helped the head cheerleader's feelings for her pull a Robin Williams style pole switch, Buffy had extracted herself as quickly as possible and bounded over to her friend. 

"What's up?" she asked when she reached the redhead and Willow shrugged her shoulders. 

"Nada. You?" She pushed herself up and off the seat and headed out of the gym beside Buffy.

"Same," the Slayer shrugged. 

Willow nodded at her while the blonde opened her hall locker and shoved her pompoms inside. She knew what the other girl really wanted to ask, but since she wasn't bringing it up, there was no point in just giving in. Not when holding out and talking about things Buffy had no interest in was so much fun. "Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly drawing her friend's attention and she grinned inside at the hopeful gleam in her eyes. "I heard the vice-principal's taking over till they can find a replacement."

Buffy's eyes dropped but she managed to respond anyway, keeping her tone surprisingly light, "It shouldn't be too hard to find a new principal. Unless they ask what happened to the last one." Not that she cared. Well, that was wrong – she did care because a man had died, two had, and she wasn't completely soulless, but she couldn't help but focus on more pressing issues that had to do with her personally. Namely, Xander. He hadn't talked to her all day, in fact he had actively avoided her all together, and she wanted to know what was up. She knew for a fact that Willow had talked to him and so had Giles, in a checking up on him sort of way that belayed his well hidden concern about them all in a way Buffy found completely adorable in an elderly sort of way.

Buffy had tried to fish information about what Xander had said out of Giles, but all she had come away with was that he was completely and totally back to normal – the same inappropriate humor, ill-timed responses, lazy, and generally arrogant teen he had been before the possession. She figured he couldn't let her think that he cared too much by adding that last part in.

"So?" Buffy hinted as they reached their destination and Willow slowed at the doors of the pool area, not knowing that this had been where Buffy was heading.

"Yeah?" she followed the blonde inside the chlorine scented area and they made their way to the bleachers.

Buffy sat down in front her eyes scanning the lanes for Xander and finding him with a smile. The Slayer turned to face the redhead, "You talked to him," she prompted while Willow folded her hands in her lap. "What'd he say?"

Willow shrugged and offered, "Well, he was a little disgusted when I told him that he ate the pig, especially when it wasn't cooked and called bacon."

"Okay," Buffy gestured for her to continue with her hand.

"And he said that he only remembered going into the cave after me and then coming to and seeing a knife to my throat," Willow told her. It was the truth in that he had said that to her, but she had doubted the honesty behind his recollection. He had been to quiet and generally apologetic for him not to remember saying anything to her, and to ignore Buffy all day…she knew the Slayer knew that the boy was lying flat out.

"Bullshit," Buffy smirked and turned her eyes back to the pool as Xander rounded off the wall and started another length of the butterfly. 

"Yeah," Willow agreed, "But I think he just needs some time." Buffy turned to face her and Willow continued, "Like maybe time where you don't force him into conversation…"

Buffy sighed at the comment and checked her next comment to her friend mentally. She loved Willow, they were almost best friends, hell, in a few more months they probably would be, would probably know everything about each other, but her relationship with Xander was something that nobody would ever fully understand. Buffy had had boyfriends, but Xander had been almost both for her whole life: a best friend, a big brother, a boyfriend all wrapped up in a package that was repulsingly attractive in that some part of her coveted that he was like a brother for so long. But as such she would always want to talk to him – would always need to, and periods of silence were never tolerated on either side. 

The Slayer had a temper even before she had been called, but Xander was the one person with whom she had never been able to stay mad at. Scott had accidentally punched her in the arm in a way she felt was too hard and she hadn't talked to him for a week, Xander had accidentally pantsed her during a practice cheerleading stunt in front of her parents last summer and he was forgiven within the day – it was just something about him that she couldn't hold a grudge against.

And now with their 'evolvement' Buffy knew that conversation was more important than ever since their new dynamic made everything they did together that much more charged and gave it that much more sway over their future together. Their future together – that was something else that excluded Willow from being able to comment because she and Xander had always planned to be best friends forever, but recently their plans together had taken on more meaning. Not 'we're gonna have beautiful children' or anything, but more 'if you're wearing pastel pink to prom, what kind of flowers do I get you'…simple stuff that she would only associate with a boyfriend. So how dare Willow tell her to back off.

"I just…I'm not going to let him mull over this unnecessarily, you know." Buffy hoped that answer would suffice.

"Maybe if he's mulling it's not unnecessary to him," the other girl pointed out. "I mean, I could tell how bad he felt. He really didn't even want to face me and he had just been really mean, but you…" she trailed off and Buffy nodded.

"I want him to know that it wasn't him," Buffy told her honestly. "I need him to know that."

Willow nodded and heard the shrill sound of the coaches whistle signal that practice was over and she watched Xander and several other distractingly wet boys in Speedos hoist themselves out of the pool and lost her train of thought for a moment. "Well," she sucked in a deep breath finally and heard Buffy giggle at her blush, "I'm gonna go then. If you need to talk to him."

"Kay," Buffy nodded while her friend backed up, "I'll give you a call later."

"Right." Willow turned and headed towards the exit, stopping before she walked out and seeing Buffy stand to make herself known to Xander and called out, "There's nothing wrong with needing time," she reminded over her shoulder, receiving a nod in response before she disappeared through the door.

**

When Xander pulled himself out of the pool the first thing he had seen was Buffy and Willow sitting and watching him. He would have been happy that they showed up to support him, but all he felt when he laid eyes on them was dread. He had been trying to stay away from both of them, getting away with only a short guilt ridden conversation with Willow and a five minute checkup with Giles in which he convinced the other man that he had episodic amnesia about the whole event – a bald faced lie as far as he was concerned.

By the time he had retrieved his towel and dried off his hair some he had noticed the doors swinging shut behind Willow and Buffy standing and waving to him in an almost shy manner. He wanted, at that moment, nothing more than to forget how to swim and fall back into the pool and drown.

He offered her a forced smile and headed over to her. "Hey."

"Hey?" Buffy asked, her brow quirked, and Xander nodded. "Alright. Hey."

"How was practice?" He hated the obligatory nature of his questions, but what did she want from him? He hadn't been able to face himself in the mirror that morning, let alone even consider looking Buffy in the eyes after what he had tried to do to her – what he had done to her, as far as he was concerned.

"Lonely," Buffy pouted and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She was not above playing the cutesy card to get him to relax – and couple the head duck/pout with the cheerleading uniform and she was shooting with the big guns.

Xander swallowed and felt his heart melt a little bit from just looking at her so he forced his gaze to the locker room doors, just catching to look Jeff shot him before walking through. "Lonely, huh?"

"Yeah," Buffy continued to pout at him. "I knew you weren't going to be there…"

"Right," Xander nodded. "I have practice too."

"I know," she shifted on her feet and looked up, finding that he wasn't even looking at her and she huffed in frustration. "Look, Xan," she started in a regular voice, "I…are you going home?" She never felt this awkward in a conversation with him in the past.

"Yeah, I guess." He shrugged dismissively. "I've got some homework to do and…Mom's…not cooking."

She managed a small laugh at joke and he gave a half smile in response, draping the towel over his neck. "Do you want some company for the walk?"

Xander swallowed, "You don't have training with Giles?" He was hoping more so than asking, but Buffy shook her head.

"If you'd been talking to me, you would've known I did it this morning."

Xander nodded again, "Right." He licked his lips nervously and took a step back, "Well, I'll go change…meet you out front."

"Sure," Buffy nodded with a grin and watched him turn and walk away – well, more tried _not_ to watch him walk away because she knew that it would not help the situation.

**

There had been relative silence, only broken with Xander's nervous shifting of his gym bag and book bag while they moved at a exceptionally leisurely pace down the street.

"So…" Buffy ventured finally and Xander glanced at her.

"Yeah?"

Buffy pulled her lower lip into her mouth and chewed it lightly. She had to broach this just the right way – a way that would make him feel comfortable around her again… "You remember it all don't you?" Alright, her mind settled Directness makes some people comfortable.

Xander tensed beside her and he fell out of step, but was quick to mask it. "Remember what?" He knew it was dumb, but hoped that maybe it would work despite the fact that his voice had cracked during the question for the first time in two years.

"The possession," Buffy decided to stay on the straight talk express and not let Xander worm his way out of the conversation.

He took a deep breath and kept his eyes focused ahead. He cursed himself that maybe avoiding her had given himself away. "Some of it," he told her quietly.

"Which parts?"

"The important ones," he shot at her in a harsh voice and saw Buffy's head drop at his tone. "Sorry," he grumbled. He took a deep breath through his nose and laughed bitterly to himself, "Sorry," he repeated.

"It's okay…"

"No it's not," Xander stopped walking and denied and Buffy turned to face him. His dark eyes locked with hers for the first time and she saw the sad confliction with in them. "What I did…" He knew what he meant, why he couldn't bare to face her. "How can you even look at me?"

Buffy shook her head and took a step closer to him, "It wasn't you."

"It was…I…"

"At least you didn't eat anybody," Buffy tried to joke brightly, but Xander didn't really laugh.

"Small favors, I guess." Somewhere along the line they had switched places. Her usually quiet demeanor when she was upset manifested itself in him, while she tried to joke to make, what he considered to be a serious situation, lighter.

Buffy sighed and reached out to touch his arm in reassurance but he shifted back to avoid her contact. "Xan," she tried again, "I know it wasn't you. You can't blame yourself for…"

"For trying to rape my best friend?" he finished with blazing eyes. "I think I can."

"For not being in control of yourself." Buffy corrected, "It's what possession does. It takes you over." Xander didn't speak and dropped his eyes to the pavement again. "Okay," Buffy sighed, "You wanna hate yourself for what happened – what you_ didn't _do…"

"I was going to," Xander shuddered as he recalled the attack. 

"I wasn't going to let you Xander," Buffy ducked her head to catch his eyes. "You were six seconds away from me breaking your face open."

Xander met her with a small grin, "You almost did with that book." But his grin soon died. "And I want to hate myself," he added, "I deserve that."

"Then you do that," Buffy told him, "but I won't. I don't hate you Xander because whether you want to believe it or not I know that it wasn't you." 

"Well good for you," Xander said sarcastically and received an angry glare at his tone. "You can forget everything that I did…"

"I didn't say I'd forget it Xander, I won't," Buffy denied. "But I can forgive it. You should too."

Xander sighed heavily and started walking again, stepping past Buffy on his way down the street, but she was soon at his side again. "And you're so sure it wasn't me why? It was my body, my mind…Jesus, Buffy, I was planning _that_ since I woke up that morning. As soon and I saw you…"

"The hyena, Xander," she reprimanded. "It may have been your body or whatever," she said flippantly, "but it wasn't you heart or you soul…"

"How do you…"

"Your eyes Xander," Buffy stopped both of their strides by grabbing his arm and forcing him to turn and face her. She reached her hand up and traced her fingers lightly over his chin, following his movement when he tried to pull away again. "I'd look at you and, yeah, I'd be confused at who I was having to fight, but then when you'd look at me – when that thing that was using you would look at me, I saw none of you in it. That's why you wouldn't have hurt me. I wouldn't have let that thing use you against either of us."

His jaw tensed and then relaxed under her fingertips and he held her gaze. "I just…I need to know that, you know Buffy? It's great that you do, and thank you for that, but…"

"Then let me help you until you do realize that for yourself, Xander," her tone taking on a hint of pleading as she turned so they could walk again. "Don't do the avoision thing with me cuz it just pisses me off," she joked next.

"Avoision?" he asked with a smirk, nudging her shoulder lightly. He may not feel a hundred percent better, not even close, but Buffy was there for him offering to take the time he need with him.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, not realizing that he was making fun of the fact that she had just made up a word. "You didn't talk to me all day."

"I did so," Xander denied "I talked to you this morning…"

"You told me that you needed you math note book out of my locker and when I opened it the next time all traces of your existence were gone," Buffy told him with a raised eyebrow and he ducked his head ashamed. "If you'd have taken your coat back I would've though that I'd just been dumped."

"Dumped?" he repeated skeptically and she nodded vigorously.

"Well," Buffy amended with a smile, "Not dumped because you've technically never taken me anywhere…"

Xander sent her a half smile and her none to subtle sing-songed hint. "So what?" he asked. "Once I take you out once I'll be free to claim the break up?" He winced when she elbowed him sharply in the ribs, but then fixed her with a genuine smile. "Well, I guess I oughta take my girl out them," he settled and raised his non-burdened arm and wrapped it over her shoulders.

"See," Buffy sighed contentedly and leaned into his side. "This is definitely the superior Xander. Accept no substitutes."

~*~*~

The boy watched the Master stalk around the damp room, his footsteps echoing throughout the lair. They had suffered huge losses the night of the Harvest – but a large step had been taken in the destruction of the world. He was freed from the pits of Hell – that was one step. Now all that remained was to see him to the surface.

They may have lost minions, including Luke, to the surprisingly deft Slayer, and others who committed treason and fled such as Jesse and Darla, but their numbers were rising again – making new recruits every night.

"So," the Master read and the Anointed started at him through his dark eyes with rapt fascination, "There will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into Hell.' As it is written, so shall it be." He stopped and faced the boy with a crooked mutilated smirk and tilted his head as he approached him, "You are he Anointed, Colin," he said proudly and as surely as if he were talking to his own son, had that been a physical possibility, and ruffled his hand through the boy's dark hair. "You will be my greatest weapon against the Slayer! You will fetch her, and I shall walk free amongst Hell brought to Earth."

Colin nodded from his position, sitting crossed legged on a plateau of rocks. He would rather see the girl dead sooner rather than later, but now that the Master was back and there was a sort of order to turning minions he could feel things changing for the better.

"Are you ready to do that for me?" the Master asked, turning from the shadows from where he had been watching the candle light flicker.

The Anointed smiled back, "To repay her for taking so many of your family?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm ready to annihilate her."

The Master gasped in a sort of please shock at the venom at which the immortal child spoke. "Out of the mouths of babes…"

~*~*~

He had an army. A small army, but an army none the less – and it was getting bigger.

Jesse sat a the table in the living room of the large mansion that he had taken as his headquarter and watched the various minions move around the house. Organizing. Training. Planning.

Oh yes, he had big plans.

"Randall?!" he called out suddenly and pushed himself from his seat and the vampire in question approached him as his coming face to face with a military general. If somebody were to come across them they would probably laugh. A large muscle bound black man bending to the beck and call of a skinny white kid with scruffy hair and too big pants – but that would be before they really understood what they were.

"Yes Sir," he faced him, vamp face in place.

"Is it ready?" Jesse had been so anxious for this moment ever since Darla had suggested it to him. He knew he wanted to kill the Slayer, but he wanted to do it with as little loss of his group's life as possible. He didn't have minions to waste on insipient simple little Buffy when there would be a war to fight at her passing. He needed all the man power he could get to combat the forces that he knew the Master was accumulating.

Her idea had been ingenious and he hated that he hadn't thought of it first, but didn't dwell in it. She had been around for centuries, he was still just sixteen. What did he know about demons?

Nothing, really – except for this one. A Varcilus demon from some other dimension or another.

"Yes Sir." Randall replied again. "I summoned the Varcilus…it's…in the back," he told Jesse uneasily. "He's not easily controlled.

Jesse shook his head and rubbed his hands together. "Not a problem Randy," he smirked. "He'll be out of our hands soon." He couldn't wait until nightfall when the Slayer would be out. He was waiting until he and Darla could go with the Varcilus to watch the fight – it would be one for the ages.

Buffy Summers in a fight to the death with an ancient demon that injected it's victim's hearts with a poison that ate them from the inside out in the matter of hours. According to Darla, the most excruciatingly painful hours of the victim's life. It would be a fight to her death – the Varcilus was about 350 pounds and six feet tall to his former friends meager 5'3, 98 pound frame, and it was full of spines, making it difficult to land a solid punch anyway.

Jesse's smile remained in place as he turned and headed up the stairs, excited to find Darla and tell her about their weapon's arrival. Tonight he would see his revenge. Tonight he would see Buffy to her grave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 1d


	5. Up Over Everything 2a

Title: Up Over Everything (2a/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oz had followed them at a distance as the two girls headed out of the gym and down the hall – keeping a safe distance while his mind worked over his opening line. He had succeeded with a strangled "Uh…" but that had gotten drowned out when the swing doors of the aquatics center shut behind them. So he had waited – sifting through his backpack and locker, meandering over to the various corkboards in the hall and glancing through the announcements, engaging in assorted trivial conversations with less enthusiasm than he usually did for about thirty minutes. 

Then, as if she knew that he was waiting for her…or she had finished talking to her friend, he saw her head out of the pool area by herself and assumed that Buffy had stayed behind. Well, she had most likely done so since her boyfriend was on the team, luckily enough for him since now Willow was on her own – and not in a creepy way, it was just that first conversations tended to go easier if they were one on one.

He watched the redhead out if the corner of his eye while he pretended to organize his locker and started to stand when she hesitated a little behind him as if to speak, but she shook her head and kept moving down the hall. Oz stood to full height as studied her back as she continued down the hall and turned the corner out of his sight before he slammed his locker shut. "That went well," he murmured to himself and pulled his keys out of his book bag before heading in the opposite direction to the student parking lot. At least, he settled climbing into his van, the town was small and therefore, he saw her everyday…plenty more chances to stutter and make vowel sounds in her general direction.

**

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked, hopping up the stairs of her porch with Xander trialing behind. 

He shrugged and followed her into the house. "I could eat," he commented offhandedly while dropping his bags next to Buffy's at the side of the door before kicking off his shoes. His intended plan to have a sulking stroll to his house had turned into him going to Buffy's for homework, dinner and patrol, and he couldn't say that he wasn't looking forward to it. Well, the last two at least. Buffy's mom was the best cook this side of anywhere in his opinion, and it beat his mother's Wednesday staple of Chinese call out. Plus, the patrolling…he had gone out a couple of times with her and he always enjoyed putting his training into effect. It was minimal, but she had taught him a few basic punches and holds and he was working on his kicks – all in all his 'Jackie Chan Style', as they had dubbed it, was improving daily.

Xander followed Buffy into the kitchen and found her digging through the crisper drawer in the fridge. "So…" she trailed off when she heard a stool at the kitchen island scrap across the linoleum floor. "We've got carrots." She stood up defeated and faced him holding up a half bag of baby carrots. He sent her a skeptical look at the snack options and she tossed them back into the fridge.

"So no eats," he deadpanned and Buffy nodded in agreement. "Why don't we just do homework then," he added in a disappointed tone for effect and pushed himself off the stool.

"I could…" Buffy faltered as she considered what she had just thought to say and questioned herself, but he had already stopped and turned to face her again. "I could…make…something," she finished uneasily.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, "So you're telling me," she said steadily as he walked slowly back into the kitchen and approached her. "That you're a cheerleading, world saving, vampire slaying," he ticked off his fingers and kept his steady pace, "best friend being, girlfriendly…Chef," he added stopping just in front of her with a slight grin which only widened when he saw the completely innocent and vulnerable way she was looking up at him with.

"I can use the microwave," Buffy shrugged, her eyes darting around the kitchen nervously. "And I can do sandwiches alright…if you wanted something…"

Xander licked his bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth and chewing on it lightly. He slid his arms around her waist and backed them up until she was pressed against the marble counter behind them, smiling when Buffy relaxed against him and laid her arms atop his. Time was going to mean fighting an internal civil war. The classically altered ménage-chess match between his brain, his heart and his… "Sandwich?" he questioned hopefully while clearing his throat at the same time.

"Ok," she whispered up at him, but wasn't released to assume her task. "Then homework…" she swallowed and received a nod. Everything's always easier said than done, it seemed.

"Homework," he breathed out and dipped his head, acting on impulse more than actual thinking – his heart whispering moves to its conspirator and going for the checkmate. He brushed his lips chastely against Buffy's and pulled back with a small smile in place. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by the petite girl in his arms leaning up on her toes while her hands slip up his and wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down in a deeper, harder kiss – one which he willingly participated in… _You're right. I want it like this. Xander's mind clenched and he pulled himself away, breathing hard and turned his back to her. He ran his hand through his hair and tried to still the shaking in his jaw and collect himself._

Buffy stared at his back with eyes wide with confusion. She made move to say…something…anything to comfort him – to get him to be able to face her the way he just had. She stood up and approached his back, reaching up with one hand and almost resting it on his shoulder, and all that came out was… "Ham and Cheese, lite mayo and lettuce, right?"

Xander let his head drop and watched her feet as she stepped around him and opened the fridge again. "Yeah," he husked out.

"Easy enough," she turned with a light tone and a forced grin. "I can do that."

Xander nodded minutely and the looked at her as she set about making his snack. "Sorry," he mumbled and she hesitated in her preparations, but soon resumed her task.

"Why for?" she shrugged her shoulder. "I mean," she cut him off when she heard his disbelieving exhale of breath. "Just…no apologies, you know…Not necessary." Buffy wanted more than anything for him to believe her when she said that, but when she turned to him and handed him the sandwich, she could read the look in his eyes and tell that he didn't. 

Xander focused on the food in his hand, but then snapped his gaze up when he felt her hand slide up his cheek, drawing him out of his reflective silence. Buffy grinned up at him through peering eyes – searching his until she knew that he was completely back from wherever he had banished himself to and there with her. "It's accepted," she whispered to him in an earnest tone and he nodded. If Xander needed her forgiveness then she could give it, even if she didn't think that it was needed.

"Oh my God!" The booming voice that followed the opening of the front door caused Buffy to snatch her hand away from Xander's face and hop back from him. Xander couldn't help the flinch not only at the loudness of the familiar voice, but also at Buffy's reaction to it – getting away from him as quickly as humanly possible…which was probably for the best because had she hesitated a moment longer he probably would have shoved her across the room in utter horror that, this time, would not be derived from his own flashbacks. 

"That's not the one and only Xander Harris' stuff piled up by my front door is it? Finally found time to grace the Summers' residence with his presence."

Xander put on a wide smile despite his falling mood and faced Hank Summers when he came into the doorway behind Dawn, both carrying paper grocery bags. He moved and took the one Dawn was carrying and she made a show of pretending to faint against the counter. "One in the same, Mr. Summers," Xander beamed while setting his bag down on the counter.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Dawn asked hopefully, her eyes lighting up as she cut her father off before he could speak and drawing an eye roll from her older sister.

"Of course he is," Hank spoke up after setting down his bags and extending his hand to Xander, who took it and was pulled into a hug. "Boys gotta eat," he glanced down at the sandwich in Xander's hand and then grinned at him.

"Hey," the he defended whole heartedly. "I had swim practice. I haveta keep my strength up."

"I'm not judging," Hank held up his hands before starting to unpack the bags. He noticed that Dawn seemed to see him start and fled the room to avoid doing any work. "Especially with States coming up…are you guys ready for it? Competition's looking pretty stiff – rumor has it that Hemrey recruited Stephen Morris from Denver…"

"How'd they do that?" Buffy asked in her 'daddy's girl' voice while she snatched up a Sunny Delight juice from the table. "He can't go to school in Denver and swim in LA."

"I know," Xander told her over his shoulder but still facing Hank. "That's why recruiting's illegal."

"They probably have him set up at the coach's house for the year so it won't look too suspicious. Plus, kids a senior," Buffy's father spoke to Xander, both as if they were the only two people in the room. "College scouts'll probably snap him up after that…"

"Yeah," Xander snorted. "But I'm not worried," a smile broke out on his face. "Sunny D's got the X-man; Razorbacks are gonna clean up the conferences."

Buffy finished her juice and glanced back at the other contents still in the bag before starting to put them away since her father seemed to have forgotten. "What's for dinner?" she asked over her shoulder, breaking into the conversation again.

"Well," Hank regarded his daughter for a moment. "What do you kids want? Pizza?" he asked not really paying attention, but instead refocusing on his conversation with Xander. "Before you know it," he said with raised eyebrows, "The scouts'll be there for you."

Xander looked down and blushed slightly. "I dunno," he shrugged, "I just…it's just fun, you know."

"Fun that'll get you into USC or UCLA," the older man pointed out. "I only wish my girl would get a scholarship like that. A free ride to any school in the country. But she likes to cheerlead…"

Xander glanced at Buffy's back while she stretched to put a box of cereal on a high shelf, but heard her sigh at her father's comment. "She's good at it," he pointed out brightly. "Makes me wanna play football even." Xander said the last part with a smile and slight wiggle of his eyebrows, but then choked when Hank fixed him with a withering look. "Yeah…" Xander breathed uncomfortably and shifted on his feet. "But hopefully," he tried to change the subject. "USC would be great."

"Please talk to Buffy about that." Hank exasperated. "Somebody's got to get through to her."

"Alright," Buffy said with a false enthusiasm and turned to face the two men. "I don't really want pizza. We need to look our best for the Winter Fest game, so strict cheerleading diet. Mom's not cooking?"

Hank narrowed his eyes at her while she leant back against the counter. "I guess she could. Is that alright with you Xander?"

Xander swallowed and let his eyes dart back and forth between Buffy and her father. "Yeah," he said nervously after reading a distinctive look from his friend. "That would actually be great, if it's not a problem."

Hank smiled warmly and gave him a hard slap in the arm. "Not at all. Spaghetti? It's your favo…"

"I actually don't like spaghetti," Buffy tossed in from the side of the room and Hank's smile faltered once again. 

"Well," he sighed and Xander could tell that he was trying to keep his temper in check.  The only reason Xander knew that was because Buffy did the same thing. It was probably why she and her father were always at odds with each other. "Mom'll make what she wants when she gets off work," he told her sternly while looking into her eyes – daring her to keep contradicting him. "And if you don't want it, or can't eat it, or whatever you're doing this week then you can make yourself something different, alright."

It wasn't a question and Buffy knew it, so she let the topic drop with a humble bow of her head. Xander knew something else too, something Buffy had never said out loud to him personally throughout their whole friendship, but was easy enough to pick up especially after hanging out with her and her family for the better part of his whole life. Xander was everything Hank wanted – he loved him like a son, and sometimes that included talking down to or about his daughter in the process. Hank had two girls, but he seemed to love the fact that his oldest had brought him a pseudo son…come to think about it, it was probably the reason Xander had so much of Buffy's father's trust in the first place.

"Are you kids going to watch some TV or something?" Hank asked again, his voice calmer despite, or probably because of, Buffy's continued silence. 

"No," she said finally pushing herself up from the counter and heading towards an uncomfortable Xander. "We're going to do some homework then probably go to the Bronze after dinner."

"Oh," her father sounded disappointed. "There's this special on World War I on Discovery tonight…"

"And I assure you, we'll be long gone before it even starts," Buffy interrupted louder then necessary and took Xander's arm and pulled him towards the door. 

Xander let himself be lead out of the door with a shrug, but then had both his and Buffy's book bags thrust into his arms. He caught Hank watching him with a weary smile as he was led dutifully around by his little girl. "Sorry Daddy," Buffy sent him a sweet smile, that never failed to patch up bridges between her and her father, "But I'm going to have to take the Xander away now. Think you'll make it till dinner?"

Hank smirked at her sarcastically and answered as she and Xander disappeared up the steps, "I'll try. I'll always have my other little girl." He nodded at the silence in the room and leaned against the island listening to the faint sound of the TV coming from the living room. He remembered the day when Buffy didn't talk back – when she was his little princess who just knew that her Daddy could do no wrong… "Hey Dawn, Sweetie!" he called and followed the sound out of the room.

~*~*~

Buffy let out an exasperated sigh as she shut the door behind Xander and leaned back against it, her eyes closed so that she missed the comforting smile he tried to send her. "Why don't you talk to Buffy…" she imitated in a deep voice, "She needs the direction."

Xander dumped their bags on the floor and dropped into a reclined position on her bed, still facing to see her standing on the other side of the room. "He didn't mean it like that."

"Oh really?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. She stood up and moved to her dresser, pulling out her ponytail on the way. "Then how did he mean it other then you're gonna be this huge success and his daughter is going to be a massive sucking cheerleading failure?"

Xander pushed himself up on is hands and regarded her for a minute. Buffy was confident lots, but mostly in specific situations. Her façade crumbled in the face of guys and questions about her self adequacy. "He doesn't think that Buff, and you know it."

Buffy sighed and took in his serious tone. "Don't mix up how you feel with what he does," she turned towards her dresser and reached for the silver cross necklace that Angel had given her what seemed like a lifetime ago. She locked eyes with Xander in the mirror while she pulled her hair over one shoulder and fastened the chain around her neck. 

"I'm not," Xander denied and dropped back into a reclined position on the bed. "You're his daughter. He's always going to be proud of you."

"Only as far as he needs to be," Buffy said solemnly. She stalked towards her dresser and pulled out a pair warm up pants before heading into the bathroom.

He rolled his eyes at her back, "You think my father is throwing out the compliments?" he asked her honestly. "Cuz believe me, he'd rather have the basketball forward or the quarterback, than the guy with the fastest 400 meter freestyle…"

"You mean the swim team captain?" Buffy asked skeptically, walking back in the room and tossing her practice uniform into the hamper by her door.

"Co-captain," Xander corrected. "And it doesn't matter," he shrugged and rolled to his left so that he could reach his bag. He tugged it open and pulled out a stack of books and tossed them onto the bed next to him. "The Harris clan goes to more Homecoming games than swim meets…they've seen you do your thing more than me."

Buffy watched him and his demeanor while he refused to meet her eyes. That may be true…she had been at every swim event that didn't conflict with her cheer schedule and she had spent most of that time sitting next to Willow or sandwiched between her Mom, Dad and Dawn; all four of whom were Xander's second biggest fans since she was first. But she had rarely seen Xander's father present. Sometimes his Mom would show, but his Dad was another story all together.

She pouted while approaching the bed and turned to flop melodramatically on its edge, her back to him. "But your dad knows that swimming'll get you somewhere…cheerleading's just…it's a waste of time to him."

"So quit." Xander shrugged, glancing at her back before darting his eyes back to his math book. "If you feel like he does, don't do it anymore and focus on 'something that'll get you somewhere'," he mimicked.

Buffy turned to face him with an annoyed pout in place at his flippancy, "It does mean something to me."

"So don't…"

"It's just Dad and Giles and…" Buffy pulled her leg up and folded it under herself so that she could see his face. When she noticed that he was actively engrossed in whatever problem was on the page she reached out and flipped the book shut.

"Hey!" Xander protested when the textbook was taken from him and tossed to the head of the bed.

"You think I'm making the right choice here?" she pressed ignoring his minor complaint and fixing him with pleading eyes. "I mean, I told Giles I wanted to keep doing it because I wanted to have a normal life…as much of a normal life as I can get – that it was all I am…"

"Buff," Xander sighed pushing himself up to face her.

"No." she shook her head so that he would stop talking. "And Dad's right…there're no cheerleading scholarships, no chance of getting into USC for normal girl… I know my grades aren't going to do it. Maybe all I am now is Slayer," she deadpanned while focusing away from his eyes and on the stripped wallpaper opposite her.

Xander moved his hand up to rest on her knee, rubbing in light strokes and drawing her attention away from her headboard. "First off," he started making sure she was looking him in the eyes. "You're more than just any of those things. More than cheerleader and definitely more than Slayer." He knew that that was her new biggest fear – beyond being buried alive, dummies and mimes, Buffy was now afraid that she wasn't going to be herself anymore. That she would somehow transform into some sort of mystical being that would be the death of her figuratively long before it made good on its more literal claims. "Second," he started again. "We're in the tenth grade. Do you have any idea how much stuff is going to change between now and then time we even have to think about college? I mean, look at the last few months – nothing is the same…"

"And it's only going to get worse," Buffy frowned and fell to her side so that she was leaning awkwardly across Xander's lap.

"I dunno," he looked down at her sullen expression and moved his hand up to brush some of her loose hair out of her face. "I don't think it's been _all_ bad…" his intent lost when she fixed him with a disbelieving look. The Slayer, the Hellmouth, Jesse, the Harvest, Angel, the possession…"Fine, a lot of it has."

"See…"

"But some of it has been good." He insisted and trued to give her a reassuring smile. "Like I get to love you."

Buffy's eyes snapped open again, but when they found his she could see him sputtering for a comeback to his last statement. "Some of it has been pretty ok, I guess," she shrugged and hoped that some of the pressure was off him. "It's just…if everything is going to keep changing, what promises do we get for the future," she asked him philosophically. "If Jess can be here one day and gone the next and there're demons running around trying to take everything I love away from me…then how do we know…"

"We don't," Xander sighed. "But that's normal, right? You can't read the future."

She opened her eyes and locked onto his while his fingers slid down from her hairline and to the thin silver chain around her neck which he traced lightly. "That doesn't scare you? The not knowing."

"Sure it does," Xander sighed. "But I'm here right now. That's all anybody has control over, so I've just gotta live for the day, seize every opportunity…"

Buffy regarded him in silence for a moment before raising her hand and grasping his lightly from her neck. She pulled it down and to her chest until their joined hands rested over her heart and his eyes locked with hers. He could feel her heart beating the faintest bit, but knew that it had to be hard because he could feel it at all. "So you don't believe in destiny?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Destiny seems a little complicated for me," he grinned down at her while speaking in a quieter tone.

Buffy bit her lip and her brow furrowed as if in thought. "I think that there is."

"Oh yeah?" he pressed matching her grin.

"Yeah," she nodded. "There's a plan."

"Who makes it?"

Buffy hummed while apparently thinking about an answer. "I think a lot of people make it. Somebody made me the Slayer…" she swallowed and looked away, "I think that somebody gave me you."

Xander couldn't keep his cheeks from reddening and he slipped his hand out of hers and moved it behind him to help prop himself up. "So what's the destiny there? My parents having unprotected sex and yours deciding to copy? You Summers' are such pousers…"

Buffy didn't laugh though; she just kept her eyes trained on his. "I think that I was meant to have you as my best friend. You don't think that?"

He swallowed nervously again. "I think that if you believe it then it's true. I think that you'll make it happen…"

"I need you to make it happen too," Buffy shifted while Xander readjust his legs, but made no move to get up.

"Tell you what," he narrowed his eyes at her deceivingly relaxed form – her tension betraying her demeanor and literally leaking out of her pours.

"What?"

"I don't believe in destiny because that means that it's predetermined that things will happen and change and we have no say over it…and innocent people will die no matter what any of us can do and everybody is going to suffer horrible fiery deaths," he managed a small chuckle, but then it faded. "That we might not, despite my necessity in your life and your in mine, be together in the end. Not as best friends, not as anything because something out there has it written that we move away or break up or die or something else…" he took a deep breath and regarded an anxious Buffy confidently. "And I think that's bullshit," he bit out nonchalantly. "You can save people. Everybody can act in one moment that'll change the course of the world in ways that can't be predetermined. And…I'm not going anywhere, I know that. You don't _know_ things with destiny, but I know that and nobody and nothing can change it."

He was being so serious that her eyes stung with the tears that were tittering at their edges. "Promise?" she whispered, finally pushing herself up into a sitting position, her arms locked behind her in support as Xander's were.

She was sitting so close to his face when the breathy plea came forth – so close that he couldn't do anything but stare into her clear grayish eyes and wish that he couldn't see the slight redness appearing as she attempted to hold back tears. "I promise, Buff. Forever."

Buffy nodded slightly and let her eyes shut. She wanted to kiss him then and knew, she just knew, that he wanted the same thing, but didn't press it. He would do it in his own time and she would still be waiting…hoping that when it happened he would scare himself off. "Quiet, huh?" she asked after a drawn out silence and heard his chuckle in response.

"Sometimes that's nice," he shrugged and reached forward again to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Good for homework?"

"Sure," Xander licked his lips and stretched out to retrieve his forgotten math book. "Then," he added with a bright smile and settled the book in his lap, "After you Mom feeds me, I'm gonna go out and give those vamps a Judo chop!" Xander's smile widened when Buffy let out an unrestrained laughter when he pretended to karate chop her in the thigh and then poked her in the stomach. She grabbed his wrist and held it lightly, but Xander couldn't free himself despite his efforts. "Now you're playing dirty," he grinned and shifted over on the bed so that she fell back off his lap. Buffy gasped when she tumbled off of his legs and read her friends next move before he leant over her, using her loss of coordination to try to capture her wrists. She squirmed away from him, her laughter bubbling up as Xander tried to match her movements, but eventually just settled on grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back from the pillows she was planning to use as a weapon at the head of the bed. "Oh no you don't!" he laughed and dragged her down to the foot of the bed.

Buffy pouted as she couldn't fight him. She may have super strength, but the comforter offered no grip, and Xander was still bigger than her. He quickly replaced her at the head of the bed, both messing up the neatly placed covers in their pursuit of the pillows. He made a grab for one, but found his movements hampered when a hundred pounds of blonde fury launched at his back and shoved him face first into the mattress. Xander tried futilely to swing his wrist up to push the tiny girl off of him. He was already laughing so hard that he couldn't breathe and the fact that he was now face down in blankets wasn't helping the situation. The Slayer felt her hair falling loosely around her face, messed up by their impromptu wrestling match, but she simply blew it up and sat up in a straddle on Xander's back. She felt him struggling beneath her and pinned both of his arms to his side on the bed. 

"I win," she panted with a triumphant smirk that Xander could just hear. She was expecting a defiant retort, but all she heard was a muffled mumble into the mattress. She giggled again "What? I didn't catch that."

Xander's smile was bright when he pulled his face back from the mattress marginally and took in a deep breath, briefly distracted by her scent that was embedded in the covers and surrounding him completely. "I said," he set himself discreetly and knew that Buffy wouldn't see his next move coming. "That's what you think." 

Before the Slayer could react Xander had rolled over hard onto his back, effectively tossing her from her perch and to the side of the bed…well, almost the side of the bed. Buffy hit the side of the bed before she landed on the floor with a dull thud and a startled grunt. Xander laughed out loud when he felt her weight slip from beside him and again when he heard her hit the floor and then fought to get his breathing under control.

"Buff," Xander called and leaned over the bed, his smile bright and victorious. "Are you alri…" He trailed off when he saw the vacant carpet on the right of the bed where he heard her land. "Buff?"

"I don't think. I know." 

The statement came from the opposite side of the room and Xander jumped to face her teasing voice. "How'd you do that?" He saw her briefly standing with her hands on her hips, face red, hair mussed, and grinning like the Buffy of old…right before she jumped him. He couldn't get his arms up fast enough before Buffy leapt onto the bed and grabbed his right arm and forcing his to roll half way over as his lower body was pinned beneath her. He, with a little trepidation, recognized that Buffy was using a little more strength – holding him in place a little more securely…

"That doesn't sound like studying in there, kids." Hanks voice preceded him cracking open the door and poking his head in.

Buffy immediately released Xander's hands and sat back with wide eyes, while her victim rolled over partially to meet her father's gaze.

"What subject is this?" Buffy's father asked with an incredulous smirk.

The Slayer slid off her friend to stand at the foot of the bed and straightened out her clothes a little before offering a weak smile. "Ummm…Political Science?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded and pushed himself into a sitting position. He missed Hank's laughter at the ruffled mess that his hair had become. "Peace Studies in the Western Hemisphere." 

Buffy smiled and nodded in agreement. "Like a case study."

Hank shook his head at the teenagers while his daughter stooped to pick up a book. He just barely caught a look…one he didn't necessarily like coming from Xander when her back was turned, and he narrowed his eyes. From where Hank stood it looked like the boy had just…checked his little girl out… He quickly shook off the feeling and his smile fell back into place with a little effort. "Well," he directed at Xander, "You're a quick study.  Always give up. It saves Advil later."

Buffy scowled and slit her eyes at her father, but the whirled on Xander when he heard his breathy chuckle, that in her mind, signaled agreement. He felt her disapproving gaze before he saw it and sucked in a breath to stop his laughter immediately. 

"Good boy." Hank congratulated again. "Just hit the books you two," he continued under his daughter's withering glare. She had once told him that she was slightly wigged that Xander's worst influence was a middle aged man. "If you can't study up here, you can come downstairs and I'll put in the Civil War Series…"

"We're good, now." Buffy interrupted. Her father's idea of bonding time was watching old men fight wars told through drawings and black and white photos, and she hated it. She thought that maybe it was the reason that she hated history with a white hot passion as it was.

Hank's smile died and he watched Xander's eyes dart around the room. "Well, if you need any help…"

"We don't." Buffy beamed back at him. "Got it under control."

He nodded. "Well, I'll call you guys for dinner."

"Thanks," Buffy tossed her book onto the bed beside Xander and stepped towards the door. "We're going to get back to work." Her father nodded and she pushed the door shut with a soft click. She turned back to the bed and saw Xander settle back in a reclined position against her pillows by the head board. "I can't wait to get out of here tonight."

"I can't wait for a Joyce cooked meal," Xander licked his lips back at her.

"You eat like you're about to about to be sent to Somalia or something." Buffy's face turned into an observational frown. "You're going to be so saggy and gross when you're old." She crawled back onto the messy bed and sat cross-legged to face her friend.

"By that time I'll have already married a model and trapped her by impregnating her with Harris spawn," he nodded through his plan and spoke emotionlessly while thumbing through a textbook. "It won't matter how I look then."

She pulled her book into her lap and opened it, "That's some plan." 

"I'm a dreamer."

"No kidding."

"What does that mean?"

Buffy didn't look up from the math problem she was working on when she answered. "That no self respecting woman will ever be duped into carrying Harris anything, let alone a model. They have so much going for them…"

He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, but only let her see his shrug when her eyes darted to his to gauge his reaction. "I guess I can settle for someone like you then."

Her head darted up to face him, but found him engrossed in whatever was on the page in front of him. He was mirroring the lack of concert that she had just shown him. "Someone like me?"

"You know," he shut his book, and Buffy didn't like the grin that graced his features. "Somebody who has no self respect left." He should have seen it coming that time, but he was caught of guard just as much as he had been previously. The Slayer grabbed her book off her lap and swung it at his shoulder, her face in a tight frown that made him think that maybe she didn't think that he was joking around. But before he could apologize for his faux pas Buffy's bright smile erupted again and he was covered, this time, by tickling Slayer.

**

"That was great Mrs. S," Xander exhaled a deep breath and sat back in his chair.

"Really?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "I wouldn't have guessed after your third helping."

"I helped," Dawn beamed at him and Buffy rolled her eyes at her younger sister. 

"Thank you Xander," Joyce smiled. "It's more than a pleasure to have a child who appreciates my cooking." She shot a glare at Buffy who was still in the process of shifting her spaghetti around her plate.

"I like it," the Slayer tried to smile, scooping up a few strands and shoveling them into her mouth. "Mmmm."

"It was delicious, Honey." Hank smiled and pushed himself up from the table. "Wanna help me wash the dishes Dawnie?" 

The youngest Summers' shook her head, her eyes focused intently on Xander where he sat next  to her sister. "Wanna watch a movie Xander?"

Joyce rolled her eyes and stood up to clear the table. "I don't think Xander wants to keep you from your homework, Sweetheart."

"Mommmm…"

"We're going out," Buffy shoved her plate away while kicking Xander under the table. "And even if we weren't he wouldn't hang out with you," she added to Dawn.

"Yes he would. Right Xander?" she sounded unsure, and her pout made Xander smile. 

"Sure I would D-miester." He answered while following Buffy's hint and standing up next to her. "I love movie nights with the Summers' ladies."

Dawn stuck her tongue out at her sister. "See," she said in a snotty tone. "Xander's my friend…"

"Don't be ridiculous Dawn," Buffy tossed over her shoulder as she headed upstairs, "You won't ever have any friends."

"And you won't ever not be ugly and stupid, so I guess we're even."

Buffy turned and slit her eyes at her sister. She wasn't really bothered by the lame putdown, but she couldn't resist getting the upper hand on the little girl. She glanced into the kitchen and saw her parents smiling as they washed and dried the dishes in the sink. "Ugly and stupid, yet, oddly enough with Xander." She knew she won by just implying that Dawn would be jealous over that concept; just suggesting that her little sister might have crush like feelings for the dark haired teen right in front of his face.

Dawn's eyes darted from her sister to her friend, who was standing stock still and blushing slightly. "MOM!" she girl yelled and ran around the room into the kitchen. "Buffy told Xan…"

"Get you stuff," the Slayer shook her head and told Xander while Dawn hurriedly tried to plead her case to her confused parents. "I'll be right down."

"BUFFY!" the obligatory reprimand meant to placate volatile sibling situations echoed through the house after her. "DON'T EMBARRASS YOUR SISTER!"

**

Xander fidgeted from his position near the mausoleum that Buffy had left him by. He fiddled with his stake while he watched her in awe, and not for the first time. She was seriously in her element, and loving every minute of it.

Buffy's fist rocked the fledgling vampire and his head snapped back with the force of it. She didn't give him time to recover but instead jumped into a side kick that caught the demon in the chest and sent him to the ground before she let up. "Okay, Xan!" she turned to face him with an adrenaline fueled smile in place.

"Okay, what?" he question unsurely. "Was I supposed to be able to do any of that?"

"Oh no," she denied simply. "That was just for me." The Slayer sensed the vampire getting shakily to his feel behind her, but he was struggling enough to not pose a serious threat to her…at least not yet, anyways. "I'm going to do some stuff you know now." She saw Xander nod, before gesturing her to turn around again with his hand.

Buffy turned and faced the vampire before falling into a fighting stance. "I'm sorry this is taking so long," she sounded sincere, but it was lost on her opponent who simply growled before lunging at her. Buffy side stepped his grab and used his momentum to stop his forward movement and slam his chest down hard into her knee. She heard the dull crack and guessed that it was one of his ribs breaking at the contact, but she didn't let him fall. Instead she pulled him upright again and flung him into a standing position. "Cross!" she called out punching the vampire in the face again. "Cross! Front snap!"

Xander shadow ducked with Buffy's simple punches and kicks and the vampire backed up and tried to unsuccessfully to doge her aggressions. "Got it!"

"Okay!" she called back again and gripped her stake tight in her hand. "Now you want him to go down…this is going to be a low blow."

Xander winced and watched Buffy grab the vampire's shoulders and draw him in while bringing her knee up to his groin hard. For the first time in the fight he heard the demon bite back a scream of discomfort, and despite the whole evil thing, Xander felt for the guy. The vampire crumpled out of the Slayers grasp and fell back into the damp grass and Xander watched Buffy drop to one knee while twirling the stake in her hand before thrusting it down hard into its chest.

Buffy pooped up and faced him with a confidently joyous smile in place while the dust cloud dissipated. "That's how you do it."

Xander started from his position and started over to her, matching her grin. "Am I supposed to do that twrilly thing too, Showoff?" 

Buffy laughed and watched while Xander attempted to mimic her hand work: tossing the stake in the air a couple times and tossing it back and forth between his hands.

"Think you can handle the next one?" she asked once he reached her and they fell into step with each other. "I'll have your back."

"Oh, I think I got it." Xander was concentrating hard on trying to spin his stake in the palm of his hand. "I've learned from you Sensei…" He spun his stake in a hard circle back into the empty air, but then bit his lip when he felt it slide from his grasp.

"GRRUH!!!" the muffled grunt of pain drew both his and Buffy's attention and they turned to see Angel emerge from the shadows. The souled vampire bit his lip and Xander scanned his limping form, his stake protruding from his left thigh. "Ow. Ow. Ow." 

Buffy bit down a giggle and watched Angel pull the stake out of his leg and hold it up incredulously. "Nice shot," she nudged Xander with her shoulder before approaching the vampire. "Higher next time."

Angel rolled his eyes. "I didn't know slaying was a date activity now?" he asked when Buffy stopped in front of him. 

"You'd be surprised at what you don't know."

Angel laughed and nodded. "Always have a comeback. Cute."

"I know." Buffy smiled. She held out her hand expectantly. "Stake."

"Yeah right," Angel scoffed and eyed Xander where he stood behind the girl. "I'm not putting this back in his hands. He could have killed me," he glanced down to where the stake had hit him. "Or caused lasting serious damage."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Just give it back," she demanded.

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "I can't be out here all defenseless."

"You've got me and Buffy now, Champ. You're off the clock." Angel assured him and slide the weapon into the pocket of the long duster that he was wearing.

"Don't call me Champ, Deadboy." Xander fired back, but kept his position behind Buffy. 

"Don't call me Deadboy, Sport."

"Boys," Buffy interrupted, but aimed most of her tone towards Angel. "We're patrolling here," she spoke to the vampire. "I kinda just want to get it done. Not make an epic out of a Cliff note, you know?"

"He's still not getting it back." 

Buffy rolled her eyes before turning to Xander. "Here," she said handing him her weapon. "Now give it." 

Angel narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "No dice."

"Don't you have an elsewhere to be?" Xander asked him. The way this 'superior' being was acting, he seemed like he was one second away from pulling Buffy's hair and saying that she had kooties.

"I have to make those," Buffy ignored him and pouted at the other man.

"Not really," Angel answered Xander. "I just go where I'm needed."

"Which isn't here, coincidently," Xander shot back.

"So I can walk out here all night and you'll not make a noise, but the moment I bring him out with me, you're all Batman Returns?" Buffy sounded upset, but Xander had no idea why. She wasn't facing him and he couldn't see her eyes to read however she might have meant by her tone. 

Angel turned his war of words against Xander to lock eyes with the Slayer again. "Well, you're usually competent on your own, but when you bring the kids your attention wanders. I don't want you getting hurt."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. Her hand shot out and she shoved the vampire hard in the chest with her right hand and reached into his pocket and retrieved her stake with the other when he stumbled back. "I won't get hurt…"

~*~*~

"There they are," Jesse locked his eyes on the Slayer, Xander and Angel through the bushes. They had no idea that he was there, and that would be a problem for them. Even the vampire was too enthralled in his verbal sparring with the teenagers to sense the danger that was so close by. 

Jesse turned and brushed past Darla who stayed watching the scene before her. He cared – or thought he did – that she seemed so drawn to his former flames pissing contest over the Slayer. He thought that he should feel just a little jealous…fell something. But all he felt was an almost giddy anticipation. "Dave, Randall, Jeremy" he called the three minions that were restraining the Varcilus demon. "Get in position."

The three vampires struggled to lug the bulky heavy demon to the edge of the bushes. They had put a burlap sack over its head so as to placate it for the journey through forest, but guiding the demon was proving to be more trouble that any of them thought it was worth. They would have voiced their opinion on the matter, too, if their sire hadn't been dead set on having the Slayer ripped to pieces by the inter-dimensional hell beast.

"Do it," Jesse ordered in a dark voice and let his game face fall into place. He took his place beside Darla and watched as Dave unclasped the lock that was holding the Vardilus' arms together behind its back and the demon immediately started its struggle for freedom. This would have to be quick because any increase in noise in the quiet area would undoubted draw the white hatter's attention. Randall dodged a flat palm aimed at his chest, just missing the six inch long talon that shot out from the monsters wrist – its primary weapon that injected a stream of poison into the victim.  He was able to grab the mask from the creatures face while he deftly ducked under a heavy fisted punch and Jeremy pushed the demon though the bushes. All five of them watched with a morbid fascination at the startled expressions of the Slayer and her companions when the demon crashed into the quiet cemetery and immediately charged the three.

~*~*~

"DUCK!!" Buffy moved with wide eyes and a lighting fast quickness to shove Xander to the ground just as the thing that broke through the bushes charged them with an exceptional speed for its size. He rolled on contact with the soft ground and scrambled to his feet. Internally he wanted to rush in to Buffy's defense but when he saw her then jump to the opposite direction, colliding with Angel to get out of its way, he knew he would have to rethink his strategy.

Buffy rolled off of Angel and got quickly to her feet. She glanced over to Xander to make sure that he was alright, but saw that he was watching the demon with wide eyes. I f she hadn't been the Slayer, she would be doing the same thing. She had never seen anything like it. Huge: tall and wide and heavy looking with various spines that only meant she would have to be careful of how she went about her attack. Angel got to his feet beside her and she turned to face him. "Get Xander out of here."

Angel shook his head, "You can't…"

"Do it," she ordered before launching her attack. Buffy's first punch landed hard and turned the things head with its force, as did its follow up. The Slayer had a small stature compared to most people, but when standing face to face with a seven foot monster it was so much more drastic, but despite that she landed a severe side snap kick that caught the demon in the chin. She placed her next grab carefully to avoid the spines and wrapped her small hands around its wrist, pivoted on her hip and hefted the massive demon off of its feet and sent it crashing into the ground.

Jesse leant forward from his hidden location and watched with wide eyes.

"Did you just see that?!" Dave asked excitedly. "She lifted him righ…"

"It's not fighting back." Jesse ignored and snarled. "It's not killing her! Why isn't it killing her?!"

"I need a weapon!" Buffy said hurriedly while the demon clambered to its feet. 

Xander watched the fight, but Buffy's voice shook him out of his trance. He saw Angel searching the area to fulfill Buffy's request, but then glanced over to a freshly dug grave. He sprinted over to it and pulled the forgotten shovel from the mound of dirt beside it. "Here!" he called, running hard to Buffy and tossing her the shovel. 

The Slayer smiled and caught it, but her distraction was picked up by her opponent. Even Angel missed the creature launching itself at Buffy's opening and swinging a heavy fist at her head. Buffy spun around at the force of the blow and her world momentarily went soundless and black before she was able to focus through the stars clouding her vision. She righted herself and swung desperately with the shovel, but her blow was blocked and the wooden handle splintered in her grasp. Buffy eyes went wide and she dropped the remains of her weapon and fell into a leg sweep. She needed time to regroup, and she needed to get Xander out of there. She could tell by his incessant shouting of her name that his protective nature was winning in the battle against his common sense, and she was lucky so far that he had stayed out of the fight so long.

She pushed herself off the ground and ran at him. Angel could fend for himself – hopefully buy her some time to get them well on there way. "Move, Xan! Run!"

"Buffy!" Angel Called out from behind her. The demon's speed again took all by surprise when it was back on its feet and charging the young Slayer again, this time from behind. "Look out!" He tried to move, wanting to tackle the thing before it could reach her, but the spines would make that action the one that took him out of the game for the count.

Xander reacted at Angel's shout though and he reached to shove Buffy to the side just as the demon moved to punch her in the back. He thought it was trying to punch her in the back at least, but it missed and he saw Buffy's wince of shooting pain that accompanied her scream of pain when the monster's claws dug into her left shoulder. He thought it would have been just a simple scratch, but Buffy seemed to be pinned in horror in front of him.

Buffy watched Xander with wide eyes and felt the demons claws dig into her back – then there was something more. A sharp stabbing pain in the middle of the triad of curved nails. Something this thing shot out of its grasp and embedded in her back and it hurt. A screaming blinding pain that was so intense that she couldn't even collect her functions enough to fall to the ground.

~*~*~

"Did he get her?" Darla asked hopefully, fixated on the Varcilus' extended contact with the Slayer and the look of painful dread that was easily distinguished on her features. "Did he?"

Jesse ignored her hopeful tone and knew it was less because of the thrill of the kill, and more because she didn't like Buffy. "I don't know," he murmured, a spark of optimism in his voice while he watched. His face fell though when he saw the Slayer gather herself and whirl on the demon, landing a double swinging backhand to it face with a scream and a grimace.

"Dammit!" he cursed and saw the demon stumble back into Angel while the Slayer and his former friend ran hard towards the exit. "Call it back!" he ordered Randall and turned away from the fight that his primary target  had just fled. "We need to try it again!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 2a


	6. Up Over Everything 2b

Title: Up Over Everything (2b/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was behind him and he had no idea what happened to Angel as they ran down the sidewalk. His house was closer so he figured that they were headed there, but Buffy seemed to be lagging. Xander slowed his pace, hoping that that demon wasn't behind them and turned to face his friend. "Buff?" he panted, "Are you ok?"

Buffy focused hazily on his words and slowed to a stop in front of him. She was a little dizzy, but assumed that it was probably from when she got punched in the head, but it was her shoulder that was killing her. She really just wanted to get inside to survey the damage that was done.

"It stabbed me with something," she heaved out unsteady breaths and Xander approached her worriedly. She waved him off and hunched over to rest her hands on her thighs and catch her breath. "I'm fine. It's just…" her right hand reached across her chest and skimmed to her back. She knew that she was bleeding from the wet feel of the fabric of her shirt clinging to her skin, but the feel of it was something completely different, it burned under the soft press of her fingers and she winced.

Xander watched her expression and bit his lip. In the dim light of the street he could easily see the dark liquid stain the left side of her shirt and she was still struggling for breath. "We're almost there," he told her and moved to her other side. Xander wrapped his arm low around Buffy's waist and pulled her into a standing position, but quickly found that he was supporting the majority of her weight. 

She staggered a little bit and she hoped that Xander couldn't feel her shaking against his side. All she could focus on now was the shooting pain that was lancing though, not just her side, but her whole body. Buffy slowly lolled her head to the side and let Xander lead her to his house. Something was wrong – she had never felt the way that she did now especially since she had become the Slayer.

He led them slowly through the dark streets of the town and the only sound that was louder to Buffy than their footsteps, was the loud pounding of her own heart, as the two noises combine threatened to deafen her. Buffy wasn't sure if Xander had been talking. She noticed occasionally that his body would jar in a way that usually signaled a chuckle, but she'd be lying if she knew what he was laughing at. What she did know was that if he were laughing, it was an obvious attempt to mask his worry because she could feel, herself, that she was less that there with him.

Xander readjusted Buffy against his side and was focused more on the top of her head and the feel of her heavy deep breaths against him, than the actual street ahead them. Buffy wasn't responding to anything he had said even minutely – and her head was bowed in a futile attempt to maintain equilibrium. He knew that if he were not there that there was no way that she would still be standing – the wobble of her knees at every step giving her away in an instant. 

"Is she alright?"

The solemn, almost whispered, question drew Xander's attention away from watching the top of Buffy's head and he stopped his slow stride and turned his head to look behind him. "I don't know. She's pretty out of it." He slowly turned around, dragging Buffy a little as she stumbled a little to keep up with his movement. "Do you know what that thing was?"

"Not a clue." Angel shook his head and took a step towards the two teens. He stopped in front of them and raised his hand to touch Buffy's forehead, but hesitated when Xander shifted Buffy further away from his grasp. "We…" the vampire swallowed and reconsidered his statement, "You should talk to Giles. She has a fever."

"How do you know that?" Xander dropped his worried gaze back to the silent body of his friend that he was supporting against him. He was able to see a thin film of perspiration along her hair line, but had assumed that it was because they had been running; well, he had hoped that was the reason behind it. He discretely moved his fingers up to the hem of Buffy's short shirt and slipped them underneath to brush against the bare skin of her side. The spot usually would have tickled her, he knew from prior experience with contact with it, but this time the one response he received was the feel of her head rolling to the side opposite his shoulder. She was freezing to the touch in contrast to the fact that she seemed to be sweating.

"I can smell it."

Xander looked up at Angel with wide eyes again. "That's kinda…ew." They stared at each other for a second longer before Xander hoisted Buffy up into a better standing position and started to turn them around. "My house is closer than Giles' and who knows what's still out here." He didn't seen Angel's nod when he took one step before stopping again and noticing that Buffy wasn't walking with him at all anymore. Xander tried his best to swallow his worry and bent down to scoop her up into his arms: one hand wrapped across her back and the other under her knees. "I just want to get her inside."

Angel fell into stride behind the boy and watched him move through a bowed head. He had been alive for 242 years…a lot of them spent ravishing mass populations of people, and he could smell a variety of things beyond a fever. He could smell fear, too – and Xander was reeking of it. 

"You don't have to follow everybody, you know," Xander tossed over his shoulder, but didn't slow his quicker pace to allow Angel to catch up. Soon he found himself shoulder to shoulder with the vampire as they headed down the street, Buffy's extended feet keeping a reasonable distance between them. "There," Xander let out a forced laugh, "Not so bad, huh?" He didn't receive an answer, but, from what he had gathered from his limited interactions with Angel, he should never expect one.

Buffy groaned into his shoulder; the first noise outside of labored breathing that she had made in a long while and Xander gulped and pulled her closer to his chest. "Fri..shn…"

Xander's brow furrowed and Buffy shook slightly against him and did not open her eyes. "What Buff?" he tried hopefully. "Buff?" He got no answer, and raised his gaze to Angel. "Maybe she needs to go to a hospital…call an ambulance or something…"

"I don't know what you would say to them," Angel glanced at him sideways before refocusing on the path to Xander's house. He could hear Buffy's mumbling, but could not make any sense out of the half words that she was sputtering out. "Maybe if she doesn't get any better. Check to see what exactly we're dealing with because I guarantee that if it's some sort of reaction to that demon, the hospital won't be able to help."

Xander silently and begrudgingly agreed but slowed when he saw the lights on in his living room and the faint blue glow from the TV. "Dammit. They're awake." He turned and shifted his balance. "I can't just walk through the house carrying her. They'll definitely call the hospital…" Xander shut his eyes and clenched his jaw, "Can you hold her for a minute?" he asked quietly and took a step closer to Angel. 

The vampire's eyes widened in shock, but then his face broke out in the slightest grin that he had to fight down. He could only hope that Xander hadn't noticed the anticipation in his features when he held out his arms and the gently accepted Buffy's small form from her friend.

He growled inside at the, almost sublime, look on Angel's face and noticed that the vampire seemed intent to not focus on him anymore. "I'm gonna go in and open my window," he spoke in a gravely serious tone as he made their way up the steps. "I want to hurry up and check out her shoulder."

Angel nodded, "I'll get her up there."

Buffy stirred in the vampire's arms just as Xander's front door shut behind him. He face scrunched up and she seemed to be trying to squirm away from his hold in protest, but he resisted her movement. Buffy let out a slight bark from her hoarse sounding throat and forced her eyes open…finding herself looking up into Angel's dark eyes.

"There you are," he offered her a half smile. "Had me worried for a little."

Buffy's brow furrowed and tried to focus of his voice, but it sounded too far away for her to pick up any actual words. "Xan…" she swallowed deeply. Her confusion was clearly present in her features, but she couldn't make her voice work to express herself correctly.

"We're at his house," Angel whispered and saw a bed room light flick on. He knew that it was Xander's room, since he had seen Buffy go in there most nights over the past few months, and he pulled her tighter to him. "I'm going to take you up there, okay." He explained slowly when he noticed Buffy trying to focus on his speech. "Hold on." Angel set himself and without warning jumped into the air. Buffy stiffened momentarily in his arms as they cut through the night air and landed soundlessly on the low roof outside of Xander's window just as he pulled open his blinds.

Buffy looked around groggily from her new elevated position. The jump did nothing to quell the pounding in her head and, actually, only made her stomach twist and clench in a wave of nausea. "Put me down," she tried to sound forceful, but doubted if she succeeded. She saw Xander unlocking his window and opening it for her to enter. 

"Are you su…"

"Put me down," she reiterated, pushing lightly against Angel's chest. The movement of her arm caused a new wave of blinding pain to course through her body – radiating and pulsing and, while she successfully bit back a scream, a distinctive whimper bubbled out of her throat.

The vampire glanced to Xander and dropped his arm from below Buffy's legs, letting them fall lightly to the roof. Buffy wobbled slightly and leant against him while she fought the vertigo that the new position caused before she stood up and moved towards Xander, who was watching her with concerned features. Buffy tried to cast him a reassuring glance while Angel's light touch on her back helped to guide her to the open window until she grasped Xander's hand tightly with her right one. "See," she grimaced while Xander reached out of the window and wrapped his arms around her waist to help her duck through the window, "All better."

Her skin still felt cool and clammy against his where it touched and Xander didn't like the grayish hue that was settling in behind Buffy's paling features when the light of the room exposed them. "Yeah," he agreed with an exhalation. 

Buffy swallowed and her eyes fell shut as dizziness washed over her and she fell more into Xander's arms once inside the room. She had been warm outside, but his room felt like an inferno and her body shook involuntarily in response to the warmth.

Xander had been about to say something to Angel when he suddenly felt all of Buffy's weight push into him and her arms went slack in their grip around him. "Buff…" he tried to call to wake her up some. He got no response, "C'mon Buffy…" He carefully shifted her to the edge of the bed and lay her down as softly as he could. The pressure of her weight on her shoulder forced Buffy's eyes open with a sharp inhale as her features twisted in pain. Xander immediately grabbed her and rolled her partly onto her right side, and more of the extent of her wound was exposed to his gaze. He saw the four puncture holes in the fabric of shirt and there was blood surrounding them, yes, but more than that there was a sort of purplish/blackish serum that seemed to be abundant as well. "It's bad," he breathed finally turning back to Angel who was watching with rapt fascination from the window. He had looked at Buffy's shoulder much more directly when she had entered the room and fought his better judgment to just forego the time and the option to wait to see if she got better and just take her to Giles right then.

"Xander," Angel's voice was quietly demanding. "We need to take her to Giles."

"No," Buffy slurred again. She was laying partially on her side, her left arm locked motionless to her side and her right curled under to rest under her head. The Slayer swallowed deeply and forced her eyes open. She gulped and let her eyes shut again against the spinning brightness of her surroundings. "I'll be fine….just tired."

"You're hardly even coherent," Angel argued.

"He's right." Xander nodded to her and moved to Buffy's side. "I can get the car and…"

"No," Buffy said again, and probably a lot quicker than she should have pushed herself into a sitting position and got to her feet. She swayed slightly but then steadied and lolled her head from side to side to glance at both Xander and Angel. "I…" she took a deep breath and regretted her defiant movement and her stomach heaved upwards. "I'm fine," she swallowed shakily.

Xander watched Buffy's eyes wavier in and out of focus before she turned and stumbled heavily towards his bathroom. The secretion from her wound staining more of her shirt than he had anticipated and he winced as she fell against his sink and tried to balance herself.

"Should I make her go?" Xander headed back to Angel at the window while keeping a careful eye on Buffy.

Angel shrugged. "I think somebody needs to look at that thing tonight…" He cut his eyes to Xander and waited. And Xander watched him back. "Can I…can I come in?"

Xander's brow furrowed, but then his eyes widened in realization. "You don't know what that thing was?" Angel shook his head. "Then what else can you do?"

"I just think that I might be able to have something to report to Giles if I saw it, that's all." 

Xander thought for a moment. He'd do anything to help Buffy, but he doubted that the vampire was any better off than him in this situation. He remembered all that folklore about vampires and having to invite them in to grant them access to homes…and he didn't want him in his home – didn't trust him that much. "Giles'll see it when she goes to him," he said steadily. 

"But it could be…"

"Do you think I should make her go?" Xander asked again. "She's more coherent," he offered hopefully and then turned his head when he saw Buffy push herself to the left of the sink while dropping to her knees simultaneously. He swallowed his optimism when he heard a hard wet heave and then turned back to Angel. "Maybe she's fighting it?"

Angel couldn't match the light tone that Xander tried to force into the comment. "Maybe…"

"I'll watch her tonight," Xander swallowed to the tune of another heave from his bathroom. "If she gets worse…or unconscious, I'll take her to Giles. She doesn't want to go now."

"Its not always about what you want…"

"Right, Count Double-Entendre strikes again; and even through your panic." Xander bit sarcastically. "She's not that easy to make her do something, I have the minor concussion to prove it." Xander rubbed his head but didn't even chuckle at his own joke.

"If anything happens…"

"I'll take care of it." Xander fixed Angel with a steady gaze. The vampire seemed to doubt the lengths that he would go for Buffy. Seemed to think that he would _let_ anything happen to her under his own roof.

"I'll be around until day break."

"Outside my window?" Xander raised an eyebrow. "Buffy wasn't wrong about shutting the blinds…"

"If anything happened and you don't call me," Angel swallowed and but his eyes to the bathroom. From what he could see, Buffy was talking a break and seemed to be leaning back against the sink, her legs fold under her, with her eyes closed. "So help me, I'll rip your throat out."

Xander's breath hitched in his throat as the threat was delivered with a deadly calm that he had never seen outside of Paccino film. "Buffy won't like your tone, Angel," his voice shook and he hoped that the vampire wouldn't sense it. "She'd dust you if you don't keep your muzzle on."

"Just…" Angel let his eyes shut. "Don't let anything…"

"Flattering that you care so much about her, Angel. It really is." Xander locked eyes with the vampire and dropped his tone to match the gravity that the vampire had used with him. "But you just remember. I cared first, and I care more." He didn't wait for the response that he saw coming when Angel opened his mouth, and Xander pulled his window pane down. He could swear that he heard the vampire growl when he locked eyes with him and pulled the curtain shut.

Xander didn't care where the vampire went, but assumed that he left when he could no longer see his shadow outlined through his curtain. He shook himself of the thought and headed to the bathroom to find Buffy resting with her eyes partially open and focused hazily on the shower door. She looked almost as if she had forgotten to shut them and had simply fallen asleep. Her breathing was rattled in her chest and coming in hard delayed exhalations, but she didn't turn to acknowledge him of speak. 

Xander grabbed a towel from his rack and dropped to his knees beside her. "Buffy," he whispered reverently and raised the towel to softly wipe her face. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes focused slowly and she turned her head into his next swipe at her chin. "Peachy." Her voice was raspy and hollow.

Xander managed a chuckle and reached behind him to turn on his sink faucet. He grabbed a smaller towel from the counter top with out getting up and reached further behind him to hold it under the cool spray of water. He fixed her with a comforting smile and brought the cool cloth to her forehead, gently wiping the heated skin of her face and pushing her fallen hair back some in the process. "Think that was Joyce's spaghetti."

The cool cloth felt good against her skin and she had to focus on Xander's words to not loose herself completely in the sensation. "Told Dad I didn't like it."

"You think that's what this is?" Xander asked suddenly serious. He heard Buffy swallow when he dropped the wash cloth on the floor next to her leg and slipped his hand to the small of her back, gently pushing her forward. "I think it might be this." He ran his fingers lightly over the outskirts of the dark stain on her back and Buffy arched away from him with a gasp. "Does it hurt?"

"Hmm…" Buffy nodded slightly.

Xander's brow creased and he took a deep breath while he studied the coloring of the liquid that had dried into the fabric. The superficial aspect of the wound looked brutal and he couldn't imagine what her back must look like underneath. "Angel said he doesn't know what that thing was," he spoke quietly for no particular reason at all. "We need to see Giles."

Buffy's defenses hackled again. "I'm fine."

"Yeah," Xander breathed. Buffy hated doctors and stuff, he knew that. He figured that she was probably afraid that whatever was wrong with her now would inevitably wind up sending her there, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs. "Do you need to…um…expel…again?"

Buffy had thought about making a joke but only managed a swallow to sooth her dry throat and had to simply settle for shaking her head. "Kay," she heard Xander's quiet voice again and then felt his weight shift beside her as he got to his feet. Soon she found herself in the air, back in Xander's arms and feeling uncomfortably warm at the contact while he carried her back into the room. She felt him sit her on the side of the bed and hold her upright by lightly gripping her upper arms. She was glad that he was because everything in her wanted to just fall back and sleep until some time next year. 

"Buffy," Xander shifted nervously and studied her pale face. He ducked his gaze to try to catch her eyes, but she had seemingly zoned out again. "I…do you…I think I should clean that…you arm and…" Her eyes slowly lifted to his, but then dropped back to the floor with out giving a verbal response. "I'm going to go get the first aid kit." This time Buffy nodded a little and he felt her begin to lay back against his hold. Xander turned her against her own momentum and laid her back on her right side against the blankets. He made sure that she was comfortable before hurrying back into his bathroom and grabbing the kit and some towels before heading back to her side.

"Kay Buff," he prompted as he scooted into position behind her on the bed. "I…um…I'm not quiet sure here…how you want to do this…" Xander didn't know if he was shaking because of the terror of the wound that the shirt was concealing, or because he was trying to figure out if her shirt could pull up far enough in the back for him to tend to it, but he hoped it was the first for his own morality. He hoped he could just think about trying to help his friend and not what might be under her clothes. "The shirt's ruined," he husked out after a moment. "I'm just going to cut it so I can see better." He was back from his desk with some scissors and his hand shook as he lowered them to the bottom hem of the small t shirt. "I don't want you to try to lift you arm," he justified nervously. His heart rate wasn't helped any when he felt Buffy, with concentrated effort, turn more into her right so that he could have better access for his task.

Xander's breath caught in his throat as he cut the shirt as carefully as he could up the back. Each slice exposed more discolored and puffy flesh and he was as gentle as he could be when separating the drying fabric from her skin in the places where it had gotten stuck. He couldn't find his voice as he looked at her back, the puffy yellow tinted skin expanding down the whole of her left side, and turning an almost red to bluish/black when the actual puncture wounds on her shoulder were revealed.

Buffy bit her lip and tried to fight the pain at the shirt being pulled away from her. "Is it bad?" her tone turned higher at the end, revealing a false sense of positivism.

Xander's mouth turned into a tight frown and he examined the still leaking tears where the talons had grabbed her. "Naw… Just a scratch."

Buffy nodded slightly. "Need me to sit up?" She felt the shirt break free at the collar and Xander's fingers moving slowly as he peeled it back to expose her whole shoulder. 

"It's good," he whispered and turned to open the first aid kit. He pulled out some gauze and dabbed at the edge of the highest wound not quiet sure where to start. His eyes skimmed over the expanse and settled on the hole in the center of the triad…there was still something… 

Xander licked his lips and slid the now discolored gauze down to wrap it around the prong that was protruding slightly from her back. He didn't say anything when he gripped the end of it as softly as he could and pulled it back hard – a six inch spike sliding out of her shoulder and trailing a thin line of slime after it.

"ARRHHHHHHRRR!!!!!!!" 

Buffy wailed and jerked up and forward. He jumped to try to calm her and he pulled her now shaking and sobbing form back into his chest. Buffy's head pitched forward and the rasp of Xander's shirt over the bare skin of her, now searingly painful flesh, forced more tears from her. He rocked her back and forth in his embrace and 'shhed' in her ear, in hopes that her scream would not draw his parents. Hopefully they were too engrossed in the cable movie that they were watching to care…or better yet, had drifted to sleep on the couch.

When she had calmed down some Xander held both of her, now bare shoulders and leant her forward to examine her back again. "I'm sorry, Buff…" he whispered sincerely. "There was a thing in there…" The now unplugged would was pulsing out a blackish liquid and Xander reached for a clean cloth to stop the flow. He figured that he could also use it as a sample to give to Giles, too. Buffy didn't answer him, but he could tell that she was fighting to regain her composure. Her shaking and hitched breathing was growing more controlled. "I'm sorry."

Buffy bit her lip when she felt the intense sting of the antiseptic on her back next, and figured that Xander was trying to get this done as fast as possible. A part of her wondered if it was because she was in pain or because she just felt the remnants of her shirt fall further down her forearms. She heard his shaky breath and felt his fingers skimming lightly over her skin and settled that it was probably a mixture of both. She would usually make so many comments, and they were all right on the tip of her tongue…but forming words actually, at this point, made her whole body hurt, and her brain throb uncontrollably. She held still and Xander placed a large gauze pad over the expanse of her back, the tape that held it in place wrapping slightly around her shoulder and she felt him hesitate. "Don't look Xander," he joke was forced and completely humorless in tone, and it made Xander shudder in response.

"Sorry," he said again shakily. "I was…the tape…" He'd be lying if he said that having Buffy sitting in front of him topless and letting him take care of her hadn't distracted him. Mostly it was just the topless, cuz, hey – he had never seen…

But it was wrong. And she was hurt. And he was preoccupied with her chest…just sitting there in front of him and offering him his first unobstructed view of what his hands had been enjoying for months…

It was wrong.

He finished covering her back with the padding and was slightly worried that it was being soaked through already. "Should I take that?" he gestured to the cut shirt in her lap. "I'll get you a new one…demon goo-less." Buffy nodded and he let her lay back on her side while he went to his dresser and pulled out a button down shirt, figuring that it would be easier for Buffy to put on than a t shirt. Plus, he settled as he approached the bed again, the shirt was more sample for researching tomorrow.

"Not looking," Xander's voice had a sense of levity and he shut his eyes before standing in front of her. She didn't say anything and he heard her deep breaths and he opened his eyes to find her lying with her arms curled up over her chest and almost shaking in her own embrace. "You're cold," he reached for Buffy without hesitation and pulled her back into a sitting position, all…most, thoughts of partial nudity pushed to the back of his mind. He carefully slipped her left arm through the short sleeve of the shirt and pulled it over her shoulder before repeating the action on the other side. He glanced up briefly and caught her hazy eyes, but then focused on the task of buttoning the shirt. He was mildly successful at not focusing on her breasts for extended periods of time, and Buffy hadn't said anything that would make him think that she had noticed. "There," he whispered and let his hand drift up from the top button and slide over her cheek.

"Xan…" she let her statement trial off and hoped that he got her thanks in her tone. He ran his fingers through her hair that was lightly framing her face and guided her back down to her side, this time settling her high against the pillows. 

"Bed time, poky." He joked and draped a spare blanket over her still form. "Tomorrow there's going to be so much Giles time you won't know whats what."

Buffy sighed in acknowledgment and let her eyes drift shut. She was a little warm still, but the soft blanket, her favorite at Xander's house, was smooth and soft, and completely comforting to her. She just wanted to go to sleep. She listened quietly through her half consciousness as Xander prepared for bed, stopping periodically to check on her: sometimes approaching her side of the bed, and sometimes just gazing from across the room until he was satisfied that she was alright.

She sensed the change in the brightness and knew that he had turned the light off, and then heard him open his door again.

"Night Ma. Dad."

His tone was always much more formal with his own parents than with hers. She'd always wondered why, but never actually questioned him on it. She had just always accepted that for all intents and purposes in her house Xander was her brother from another mother – he just happened to live five minutes away. 

The mattress shifted beside her and Xander climbed on top of the covers to lie next to her. Buffy shivered slightly at the feel of his breath on the back of her neck, but he calmed her reaction by wrapping his arm around her waist. He hugged her back to him but kept his body from coming in contact with her shoulder. Buffy's breathing was shaky under his arm and he skimmed his fingers down to the pulse point on her wrist. He found it easily because of the force the thud was causing, but quickly gave up trying to interpret what the irregularity of it might mean. All Xander knew was that beating was good. Beating meant that he could sleep for a little while that night. Xander let his eyes drift shut in the security that he would be able to watch over Buffy for the rest of the night, and make sure that she was better tomorrow.

~*~*~

"What do you mean he's broken?" Jesse stood up angrily from the table. "It's an inter-dimensional Hell beast, and he's broken?"

Darla walked behind him and rubbed the younger vampire on the back comfortingly. She leant forward when he let his head drop and breathed lightly into his ear, enjoying the slight shudder that went through him. "He's useless now." Darla pulled back, "The Slayer broke his spiny thing…"

"So there's nothing else we can do with him?" Jesse ignored Darla in favor of addressing his minion Randall, the one who had performed the spell to summon the Vardilus in the first place. "Well," the gruff voice of the older man replied, "like I said before, at this point, if you want to use that demon against the Slayer you're going to have to get it close enough to fall on her and be hopeful that she'll be crushed."

Darla broke out in a meticulous grin at the pure sarcasm that dripped from Randall's reply, and then again when she saw Jesse's seething anger and impatience. Tonight, like most other nights, had not gone according to plan. The boy was quick to point out the flaws of the group that formerly was under the leadership of Luke, but he had yet to be able to outwit or out fight the Slayer himself either. From what she had gathered, despite his unwillingness to discuss it outright, he was afraid of her. He had watched his tiny yet superhumanly strong friend beat the shit out of a three hundred year old killer. What chance did he have?

Jesse kept banking on the fact that Buffy wouldn't be able to kill the incarnation of one of her best friends; but it wasn't necessarily true. His past was enough to stall the Slayer, but it wasn't enough to keep her out of the fight. She quickly differentiated the two and seemed to have drawn the conclusion that as the ultimate act of savior, dusting Jesse would be what she owed him as a friend. That Buffy didn't want Jesse to have to suffer through the curse and burden of not having a soul. 

And Xander…

Darla watched Jesse fidget almost nervously as he tried to work out a back up plan in his war against his former friends.  He feared becoming like Angel, too. Xander had mentioned that they could find a way to "fix him". She had told him about Angel, the scourge of Eastern Europe for over a century of unbridled bloody terror – who was now all hearts and rainbows with candy raindrops. A pathetic shell of the demon he was and could be. The demon that Darla still wanted to draw out…but that was her personal vendetta that she had derived from her time with Luke.

"DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF?!" the teenaged vampire boomed and the five other minions in the cave shuddered and cowered. Jesse stalked hurriedly to the cage where the Vardilus was being held. He watched for a few moments as the demon milled around the enclosed space – lost and broken looking, especially for a subhuman monster. 

The thing had gotten the upper hand on the Slayer. It was more than a match physically – its mental capacity got it in trouble, yes, but brawn can beat brains any day of the week. And its not like it was fighting Einstein anyway…but she had won. Jesse had watched the Vardilus do its thing – it was supposed to stab its victim in the heart and inject a lethal poison directly into the organ. He had seen it go in for the kill, watched Buffy's face contort in pain and horror at first contact with the demon. But she had STILL gotten away, and was seemingly no worse off for it.

Jesse tilted his head and watched the creature pace. "You said that it's spine broke off?" 

He wasn't facing the general population of the room, but Randall spoke up regardless. "Yes. Its clean gone and broken off…"

"How?" Jesse asked and whipped around to question the other vampire. "I mean, that would mean that it used its mojo and…"

Randall considered his train of thought and nodded. "Quite possibly he stabbed her and missed, yes." 

"So lets say he missed her heart," he walked away from the cage and towards Darla. He sent her a smirk and then turned and nodded back to the cage. "Did it still poison her?"

"Somebody's afraid to finish the Slayer himself," Darla sing-songed behind her childe. 

"Somebody's cautious enough to weaken her first." Jesse countered matching her teasing tone.

"That didn't used to be your song," the vampiress taunted with a raised eyebrow. "I thought all that stuff was bullshit?"

Jesse turned and faced his sire full on. They always shot digs at each other and it really did wonders for their very public, at time, sex life, but he hated with a passion when she undermined his authority. Nobody had told her to follow him, so why question his every move. His smile was contrived and blatantly as fake as his tone, "It's all fun and games until centuries old demons get offed by pre-pubescent cheerleaders, dear." He turned back to Randall and the Vardilus and awaited an answer.

"Hypothetically, yes. She'd still have been poisoned."

"So she'll still die, right?"

"Hypothetically, yes." Randal shifted in his feet and his confidence wavered. "I've never done this type of stuff before. I don't really know…"

"As long as she's been hit, she'll die." Jesse shrugged his shoulders. "Sure it'll take a little bit longer, but the fact that she'll suffer the burning pain of her insides rotting her alive'll make it well worth it." His optimism at the Slayer's impending demise was infectious throughout his lair. 

Jesse studied the Vardilus for a moment longer before his smile and laughter dies and he spoke with a deadly steadiness. "Kill it."

At his word three of his group approached the cage of the injured demon and the monster immediately tried to put distance between itself and the advancing threat. "Wait!" Darla's voice rang out and halted all movement. 

"What?" Jesse's tone remained aggravated.

"Well the Vardilus," Darla stated from the memory of her studies on the demon before they summoned it. "It said the there's an antidote." Jesse's brow furrowed in interest and he motioned her to continue. "The heart. To survive, which doesn't happen often, or at all for that matter, the heart of the demon has to be ingested."

"So?" Randall asked.

"So," she rolled her eyes and faced the questioning vampire instead of Jesse. "We keep it alive and they come for it. They're going to want to save her, and they'll have time if they can get to it in time."

"They'll walk right into our hands," Jesse's eyes lit up. "Xander…Angel…they'd do anything to get their hands on the cure for their beloved Buffy."

"Angel will be wrapped around your little finger," she smiled. "And the Anointed will be after the most powerful weapon you'll have." She loved the dark smirk that lit up Jesse's face. He was, once again, reconsidering a plan of his that had blown up, but she had been able to recover a silver lining. Darla knew that if it weren't for her Jesse probably would have fallen on a stake by now, but he was a perfect scapegoat. She could ride his coattails and reap all the benefits of his vindictiveness for herself. 

Darla sauntered up to him and rubbed her hand lightly down his arm. Jesse looked down at her and she offered him a devious smile. "You ready to take a town babe?"

~*~*~

_The next morning_

~*~*~

The sun was filtering into the room and casting it a dull yellow glow. Usually light would wake Buffy up, but today she had been conscious long before daybreak. The pain coursing through her body had jolted her awake from her state of semi sleep hours ago.  Where once she would have been completely comfortable in Xander's bed and arms, she had been to busy on focusing on not vomiting again for the simple fact that thinking about making the walk was enough to make her clench in anticipated pain. 

But that thought was no longer an option. The feeling was continuous now and there was nothing the Slayer could do to stave it off. She was burning up under her layers of clothes and had taken comfort in the fact that Xander had eventually rolled away from her so that she could push off the fire hot blanket. But despite all of that, Buffy couldn't stop herself from shivering and she could feel her hair clinging to the sweat around her face. Her whole body felt swollen around the specific point in her left shoulder and beyond that she could only focus on her labored and rattled breathing to draw her attention away from the agony. 

Buffy didn't know what she could do, but she did know that she couldn't lie still anymore. She had to move and distract herself until whatever was wrong with her passed. Buffy slowly and with a restrained groan pushed herself into a sitting position and planted her feet shakily on the ground. The room spun around her and she fought to keep from collapsing back onto the bed and waking Xander. The left side of her body was tight and throbbing and she couldn't move the fingers of her numb left hand – she glanced down at the appendage as if to check to see that it was still there…her finger tips were slightly purple and she gulped down her worry. 

She just had to see Giles. Fine. She could admit that and she could do that. Buffy took slow steps to the window and flung open the curtain and opened the pane as quietly as she could, before moving cautiously to ease herself outside. The bright sun was blinding and making her head throb even more but Buffy ducked her head and crawled on one hand and her knees to the edge of the roof. She turned and cursed to herself, now only able to hope that her right arm was still strong enough to balance her weight and lower her safely down to the ground. 

It wasn't.

Buffy lowered herself over the edge, but her grip was weak and slipped, sending her crashing to the ground. The Slayer was thankful the she just dropped straight down and landed hard in a sitting position rather than on her back or side. She was breathing hard and she shook her head to clear it before rolling over onto her knees and pushing herself unsteadily to her feet. Buffy stumbled out of Xander's yard, not even thinking about looking back and she dragged her feet slowly down the sidewalk towards her home.

Buffy hadn't been keeping track of the time, but she was sure that the usually five minute walk to Xander's had taken her at least twenty. She was only vaguely aware of the strange and concerned looks that she had received from passing joggers, and could only imagine what she must look like – she felt like shit, that was for sure.

Her house came into view and she couldn't even sigh in relief when her options of getting inside entered her mind. Only one option really. Buffy slowly made her way up the front steps and slowly pushed open the front door with her right hand. She didn't even want to attempt trying to climb up onto her roof. 

The voices sounded more distant than they should but Buffy could still hear her father's laugh and then Dawn say something else excitedly in response. It had been a long time since she had attended a family breakfast since the mornings that she had been home she had opted to sleep just a little bit later.

"Buffy?" her mother asked, probably having heard the sound of the door shutting and her shuffled footsteps to the door of the kitchen. "Is that you honey?"

Buffy's vision clouded as she appeared in the doorway, cradling her locked left arm with her right, as Xander's huge shirt drowned her. "Yeah," she managed to breath out after a deep swallow.

Joyce immediately put down her slice of toast and stood up from her stool to approach her daughter.

"Did you go running this morning?" Hank asked without looking up from his _LA Times_.

"In that?" Dawn still managed to say condescendingly despite the pale form of her big sister, shaking in the door way and her mother's worried stance in appraisal. "Didn't you have those pants on last night?" That got her father's attention and he looked up to face his oldest daughter.

"Are you alright Buffy?" Joyce asked, forgoing any questioning. She reached for her daughter and grasped her shoulder and Buffy recoiled sharply from the contact, but was unable to fight off the spontaneous tears that sprung from her eyes.

"I'm fine." She swayed on her feet and took a small step past Joyce and into the room.

He was wondering about the shirt and her whereabouts that morning, but the obvious other issue clouded his mind. "Are you sure Buffy?" Hank set down his paper and made a move to approach his unsteady daughter.

"Yeah," her eyes rolled shut of their own volition and all of the normal sound in the room drowned out. Her mouth didn't even feel like her own when she spoke. "Just…" she tried to take a deep breath but it got caught in her throat. "Brea…st…"

"BUFFY!!"

Somebody shouted her name, but she couldn't tell whose voice it was, and suddenly she couldn't feel anything. Buffy's eyes clouded over and the room went black at the same time that legs slackened and gave out and her mind went blank before she assumed she hit the ground.

"BUFFY!!" Joyce called again when her daughter collapsed in front of her. Her husband reacted quickly when he saw Buffy's eyes roll into her head and she swayed forward more obviously than before and he grabbed her arm to keep her from hitting her head on the corner of the island table. 

"Call the hospital Dawn!" Hank called over his shoulder and slid off of his stool to lower Buffy carefully to the ground.

Dawn scrambled across the kitchen and grabbed the cordless phone off of the wall while her mother snatched up the car keys from the counter. "Let's get her to the car!" Hank huffed and scooped up Buffy and ran out of the room behind Joyce, careful not to jar his unconscious daughter too much. "Tell them we're on our way!" Joyce called back to Dawn just before she heard the door slam shut.

"Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, this is Ally. How can I help you?"

The chipper voice jarred the scared teen from her inner panic. "Uh…hi…"

"Hi," the woman named Ally replied. "Can I help you?"

"My sister." Dawn swallowed. She new her voice sounded terrified and she reserved that right. "She passed out…"


	7. Up Over Everything 2c

Title: Up Over Everything (2c/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander's grogginess wore off quickly when he rolled over and found his bed empty. He had woken up periodically to check on Buffy and took the faintest of comfort in the fact that she was breathing. The feat wouldn't have seemed so extraordinary had he not known that she was getting progressively worse throughout the night. 

The majority of the times that he had opened his eyes from the lightest sleep in recorded history it was because of Buffy's shaking and mumbling in her sleep. He had shaken her awake at least three times, but each one he doubted if her open eyes were a signal of actual consciousness. Xander had checked her shoulder bandage twice and had found that it needed changing the first time – the gauze padding and, subsequently, the shirt were soaked through with whatever the demon goo was that had continued to leak out of her shoulder.  He had tried to hold her to fight the shivering that was raking her body, but it seemed that he actually had drifted off to a deeper sleep than he had anticipated and rolled to the other side of the bed.

Just his luck that the minute he was actually unconscious Buffy would up and Houdini on him. He had fought his better judgment all night and not ran calling into the night for Angel, of all people. Xander just didn't know what else to do…but no – he didn't even do that. Buffy mumbled that she was fine through her shaking. Told him in broken sentences that she was still just sleepy and then trailed off into something about vampires attacking Eskimos in Saint Patrick's Cathedral, but he hadn't really gotten that last part. Before he could question her on it, just to fulfill his desire to try to keep her coherent for a moment longer, she had zoned out again in a pool of freezing sweat and tremors. So he had held her – both determined and carefully gentle in his hold…and now she was gone.

Xander pushed himself out of the bed and stumbled around his brightly lit room. The curtain and window that he was sure that he had shut the night before to keep Angel out was wide open, so he assumed that even through her delirium Buffy had managed to make her escape through his window. Worry flared up in him when he thought about how her decent was off his second floor roof…and again when he considered how heavy a sleeper he was to miss the whole exit. 

He hadn't changed from the night before, and never had he been more grateful that he was a slob, in Buffy's terms, because his not having to fish for clothes was going to save him precious minutes. Xander scooped up the remnants of the towels that he had used to clan Buffy's shoulder the night before and crammed them into the book bag that he had stuffed her old shirt and the prong that he had pulled out of her. He ran into the bathroom and brushed his teeth quickly before grabbing up the bag and leaping down the stairs two at a time. He had to see Giles…he had to find Buffy…

"This isn't a circus boy. Don't run in my house."

"Sorry Dad," Xander ducked his head. He looked at his father sitting at the kitchen table through the doorway. "I'm kinda in a hurry. You think you could giv…"

"Come have some breakfast, Alex." His mother beckoned from the counter. Obviously, unlike in the Summers' home, Xander noted, breakfast in the Harris compound consisted of dry toast and milk.

"I can't Ma. I have to get to school." Xander smiled slightly. His mother was looking at him worriedly and he imagined that his hair looked as frazzled as hers did. He smoothed his hand though it, "Do you think I could get a ride…or take the car?"

"You think you can run though here at all hours, screaming and causing a racquet and then think that I'll give you the keys cuz you're running late?" 

"Tony…" Jane Harris pleaded when she turned and saw his glared boring into their teenage son. 

"Just get you ass in here and have breakfast with your mother." Tony sighed and turned back to his morning paper.

Xander dropped his gaze before raising it again to his mother. "Ma…"

"Go ahead Alex." She smiled warmly at him. "Just come home after practice for dinner, kay? I hardly see you anymore."

"He's too busy over at the Summers' place, that's why." Tony mumbled. "Too good for you."

Xander spoke in a low voice, "I'll be home by five."

"Alight," Jane nodded and walked over to him with a Pop Tart in hand. "Have a good day Sweetie." She ran her hand down his shoulder. "Plus you look like you need some rest…"

"You not taking your bag to school?" Tony spoke up behind Jane. "I know you need your practice gear what with that meet coming up, right? Where at?"

"Hemery." Xander breathed out. "Just like I told you everyday last week and the news letter said. It's at Hemery in LA." Xander stopped and tried to take a relaxing breath. "So you won't drive me?" He tried to change the subject and not let his rising anger creep into his tone. Tony loved to make his life a living hell, and knew…just knew how to do so in a spectacular fashion. He needed a ride, and all his father wanted to do was try to pick a fight over any and everything possible. Xander had gauged the change in topic to his not eating breakfast, to his curfew, to Buffy, and now, the tried and true, topic of the swim team. Unbelievable

"I have to go to work." Tony turned back to his paper.

"Right." Xander sighed and stepped back from the kitchen. "I'll see you tonight Ma." He didn't say anything else as he turned on his heel and jogged out of the house, trying not to slam the door to hard behind him. 

+++

+++

"What are you working so hard on this morning?" Whistler asked as he walked up behind Angel and glanced over his hunched shoulder. "Woulda thought that your kind like ta sleep during daylight hours."

The vampire didn't even look up and continued to study the paper on the table in front of him. Whistler had been watching him work since dawn and he hadn't spoken since. He had simple breezed in just before sunrise and grabbed a drawing pad and a pencil before setting himself at a small table in the center of the living room in the converted abandoned factory that they had taken over.

Angel's brow furrowed and he drew his bottom lip into his mouth with a sigh. "I don't know." He sat back heavily in his chair with his eyes still locked to the picture that he had created. "Just restless I guess." He titled his head to the side and the leant forward to the picture again, this time adding a shadow to the ridge below the objects eyes.

"What the hell is that?' Whistler drew up his lip in disgust and the snatched the pad from Angel to get a closer look. "This thing gives ugly a bad name."

"Tell me about it." Angel ran his hand over his hair and stood up. He didn't see his companion squint hard at his picture and the worried look that settled on his features. 

"Where'd you come across this?" Whistler tossed the pad back to the table and took a sip of coffee while Angel paced over by one of the ladders that led up to the second floor.

"Last night," the vampire sighed not really paying attention. 

"Oh yeah," Whistler snorted. "You get into the bad blood again down at Willy's? I'm not gonna let you stalk the girl if you're just gonna lie and go on benders."

Angel dismissed his joke and turned to face his guide with a stern look. "It attacked Buffy last night on her patrol." He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw as he faced Whistler, "Do you know what it is?"

Whistler snorted a little and took another sip of coffee. "I'm so sorry man," he set his cup down on the table. "I had no idea." He wasn't Buffy's biggest fan, that was for sure. She was stuck up and arrogant and, well, bitchy, but he never wished her harm. In fact, he had tried to maintain high hopes for the girl. She seemed to be the up and coming beacon of hope for the side of the light and …

Angel studied his guide's expression curiously. He had never really seen it on his face before – a sort of sympathetic concern dulling the cynical humor that usually resided in his eyes. Angel strode forward to the table and scooped up his drawing. "No idea what? Do you know what this is?"

"Look, Angel." Whistler turned slowly to face him. "I know you wanna go kill this thing, but you have no idea what you're dealing with. I'm sorry you lost her…I know she meant a lot to you – gave you something to occupy your days with, and all. But I can't let you rush out and avenge her death with your own. I'm gonna put my foot down on this." He gauged Angel's silence and shook his head. "We can pack up if you want. Move onto the next one…"

"What are you talking about?" Angel's brow furrowed. "Lost her? I didn't loose her."

Whistler let out a breath chuckle of sad disbelief. "The picture," he motioned to the one in Angel's hands – a spiny demonic looking hell beast that had been likened with horrific accuracy onto the paper, down to the crooked snarl left by the things protruding teeth – "You said it attacked the Slayer last night." Angel nodded slowly. "Fella, that's a Vardilus demon. They're not even from this dimension. There's no way the kid survived it…"

"She did." Angel's voice held a sense of proud awe at the notion that Buffy had beaten the odds that, Whistler especially, had set against her. "But it hit her…she was really out of it when we finally got her inside."

"We?" Whistler asked confused. 

Angel nodded with a slight sneer. "Me and Xander Harris. He was out with her…"

"Ah yes. The Slayer in training." He smiled briefly, but then let it fall when he refocused. "If the Vardilus hit her, the kid's as good as gone." Whistler didn't think that it was a physical possibility, but he had just witched a vampire pale – imagined that his heart would have stopped if it weren't dead in his chest already. "It has this poison," he went on to explain. "It injects it into its victim's heart and it…well…it's like an acid. Eats the body from the inside out…"

Angel thought back to the night before and let his eyes shut. He wished he could go back in time and get Buffy out of that cemetery…wished that he could make Xander take her to Giles'…wish that he knew what to do to make it better. "Usually only lasts about an hour. After that they're good as gone." The Balance demon shook his head in slight disbelief, "I wonder who brought it here…what brought it here…"

"What if it missed?" Angel asked.

"Missed?"

"Missed her heart." The vampire clarified. "What if it didn't get the poison into her heart?"

"It stuck her though?" Whistler asked bluntly and Angel nodded. "Well, if it didn't get her heart then she's just gonna die slower…more painful."

"How do I stop it?"

Whistler fixed the vampire with a confused glare at his grave tone. "You don't. Angel, man, this thing…we didn't even think that they were real until a couple decades ago…"

Angel shrugged his shoulders. "So there's no antidote? Nothing that can be done besides sit here and watch her die?"

Whistler tossed him a look as if to affirm his statement, but then softened at the renewed devastation that set on the vampire's dark features. "I mean…I heard this things once," he started when Angel slumped back down into his chair. "About the Vardilus..."

"What?" Angel was on his feet and facing Whistler in a heart beat.

"The brain," the other demon sighed. "It can off set the poison."

Angel's fce turned into a disgusted grimace. "It's brain?"

"She would have to…" Whistler cleared his throat, "ingest it." Both demon's grimaced at each other. "That it if it's still alive. Once it dies, the whole body liquefies."

Angel was already moving to the back of the factory and the sewer grate that was located there. "Then I'll have to find it before whoever has it figures that out…and I guess get the brain."

"It's not that simple." Whistler interrupted his stride and picked up the drawing again. He approached Angel where he had stopped and held it out for the vampire to take. "If whoever summoned it knew enough to know that it would be able to take out the Slayer, then they might have known about the whole cure for the venom…it might already be too late."

"I have to try." Angel said solemnly, putting the drawing into the inside pocket of his leather duster. "I can't just wait…"

"She doesn't have a lot of time either way." Whistler said directly. "Do you even know where she is? It might be too la…"

"It's not." Angel cut him off – he didn't even want to consider that Buffy might have… "I would know." Whistler nodded at him, but didn't speak. "And if I can't find her…I'll just look for the boy." Angel turned and lifted the grate to the sewers and jumped down, landing with a quiet splash.

"Angel, man."

He glanced up to see Whistler's face through the opening in the sewer ceiling.

"G'luck."

+++

+++

Taking the stairs to the front of the school two at a time Xander dodged the milling students and squeezed past his loitering peers to get inside of the school. He ignored Jeff waving him over to the swim team bench in the Quad and continued quickly down the outdoor hall – the short cut to the library. He was well aware that he missed the morning weight lift session, and he didn't care enough right now to argue about it. 

Xander stuck to the wall in order to move faster and turned the corner in a near run while adjusting his backpack on his shoulder. He wasn't paying attention when he ran directly into a smaller solid form and caused the person to drop all of their folders to the ground.

"Mr. Harris," Ms. French smiled, but shook her head at him. "You're always in a hurry. And I'm always in the way."

Xander gulped and stared at the teacher with wide eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled out and dropped quickly to help gather her papers. Ms. French followed his movements and leveled with his stooped position on the floor. "Well, thank you for taking a breath to help me this time."

He wasn't sure if he matched her warm smile, but he doubted tat he had. Not only did she always make him exceedingly nervous, but her comment sent him careening back to the previous week where he had run into her on his way out of computer class, right before he had tried to…

Buffy. "I gotta go Ms. French. Sorry again."

The teacher eyed the nervous boy in front of her, still maintaining her smile. "And here I thought the once Ms. Calendar returned that you would only be able to run out of my life once a day." 

Xander gulped again and dropped his gaze to her hand where it came to rest on his shoulder and then run down his arm. That time he did manage a nervous snort of laughter and he took a step back. "Well no offense, but bio…bad; computers…bad – get those two together and subtract one Xander." Library. Have to go…gottagogottagogottago… 

He remained standing in front of the raven haired teacher who was smiling up at him and still touching his arm lightly. He wondered why he was fidgeting, and more so, if she knew. "Hopefully you'll find it in your schedule to make it to bio today," she suggested with raised eyebrows. "I won't force Ms. Calendar's class on you, but do try to make it to mine."

Xander nodded and swallowed. "I'll see what I can do."

"You do that," Ms. French's smile died a little when Xander seemed to snap back into the present and take a small step out of her grasp. "And, remember, Xander. If you need a tutorial on what you've missed, please don't hesitate to make an appointment with me."

"Yeah," Xander nodded and continued to back slowly down the hall. "I'll keep that in mind…tell Buffy too." He watched the teachers face harden considerably, but ignored his internal question as to why that was the case exactly. "Well, I'll see you."

"Third period, Mr. Harris."

"Third. Gotcha." Xander smiled briefly before resetting his pace to the library. He hadn't seen Willow, and more distressingly, neither hide nor hair of any sign that Buffy might be present today. He figured that after he talked to Giles he could try his hand at ditching campus and heading over to her house just to check. Maybe she had made it home, and was feeling a little better. Maybe a couple more hours sleep was all that she needed. And maybe…hopefully, in the back of his mind, behind his own doubtfulness at this scenario, Buffy would be sitting at the huge table in the library being lectured by Giles on the ill effects of worrying the living shit out of her best friend.

Xander pushed open the swinging doors of the muskily lit library and his eyes fell to the table. No such luck at Buffy being there, and his heart jerked in his chest. "GIILLLEEESSS!!!!" He stepped into the room and looked around, seeing nobody in the area. "GIIILLLEEESSSS!!!"

"Xander," Giles condescending tone preceded his emerging from the stacks. "How nice of you to drop by so early in the morning…and screaming."

"Giles," Xander breathed and jogged across the room to the base of the steps. "Thank God you're here. Have you seen Buffy?"

The Watcher's brow furrowed at the boy's worried expression. "No," he stepped down onto the main floor of the library, "As a matter of fact she didn't come in this morning. Why do you ask?" His question was born out of the fact that if he hadn't seen Buffy, and Xander hadn't then something was obviously very wrong. That coupled with the fact that the teenager was now dumping the contents of his backpack onto the large table and facing him with a serious expression, set Giles' brain in motion as to trying to figure out what was happening.

Xander swallowed and glanced down the ruined cloth on the table. Buffy had told him not to mention the fact that she had allowed him to train and patrol with her, but the situation at hand was making that an impossibility. He would have to weather the consequences of his admission when this was over. "We got attacked last night." Xander held up the plastic bag with the prong in it for Giles to see. 

The Watcher's face fell and he stepped forward to take the mysterious bag from the boy. "Where were you? What is going on?"

"I wish I knew," Xander sighed and watched as Giles started sifting through the stained remains of Buffy's shirt. "We were in the cemetery. Buffy was slaying…and then Angel showed up, all of a sudden this thing jumped out of the bushes and it grabbed at her. We ran away but that thing was still in her back." He gestured to the bag and Giles opened in and examined the boney spine up close. "I think it made her really sick…" Xander choked on his breath but fought back any outward emotion just yet. "I haven't seen her since last night, and I'm kinda wiggin about it…she….she was really out of it."

Giles slid his glasses up to his forehead and spread out one of the black encrusted towels on the table. "All this stuff was coming out of her shoulder where that spine thing was. I pulled it out and it whooshed," Xander offered the explanation for the question he saw on the tip of the Watcher's tongue.

"Yes," the older man's tone was reflective. "And you said that you were in the cemetery together?" Xander nodded but averted his eyes.  Giles settled that he would find out about the why and the wherefore of that whole story once he got to the bottom of what exactly might be wrong with his missing charge. "And you haven't seen her? What exactly was she acting like?"

Xander looked down at the hard wood table and leant forward against it while he remembered Buffy's tremors and cold sweats and incoherent babbling…and the horrifying liquidly discoloration of her shoulder and side. He didn't feel like he could accurately describe what the previous night had been like for him, but he did his best to make his description as vivid as possible for the Watcher, who listened with rapt fascination.

Giles took off his glasses when Xander finished his description of the Slayer's symptoms and fought down his own peeked worry about her whereabouts. He rubbed them clean and placed them back on his face. "And she was able to just walk out of your house this morning?"

Xander looked to the wall sheepishly. "I think she went out of the window." He looked at the Brit when he heard the exaggerated sigh. "And I know…I guess I'm a heavier sleeper than I thought."

"You should have brought her directly to me." Giles bit out and took wide strides to the book shelf behind the table. He was free to keep his occult references on the floor here in the high school, as not too many students frequented the library in the first place, let alone, checked out books.

"She said that she didn't want to. She said that she was fine."

"Yes, and according to you she also said that vampire dogs eat jello invitations. Don't tell me that you took that to heart as well." Giles fired at the teen and slammed three books down on the table. He glared ahead at Xander who seemed to have nothing to say, and sighed. "Do you remember what this thing looked like?"

Xander nodded. "I'd for sure recognize it if I saw it again," he said quietly. "It was huge…orange and spiny. About seven feet tall and three hundred pounds. All fangs and claws," Xander hesitated for a moment and a small grin broke out on his face, "She was kicking its ass like none other." He looked at Giles, "You shoulda seen her, it was great."

"Well," Giles offered a half smile but quickly forced it down in favor of a serious expression that relayed his worry, "for now I suggest that you call Buffy's home – see if she went there, first. Then try to find Willow. She might be able to help identify the substance on these clothes; that might help. If it is making Buffy sick, knowing what it is might offer a cure. I'll scower my resources until we find what we are dealing with."

Xander nodded and jogged over to Giles' office to use the phone while the Watcher set himself at the table. Finally a plan. That was just what he needed and why he had been in such a hurry to get to Giles in the first place. He knew a sense of order would be reached once he was given a course of action. Xander dialed Buffy's personal number, but quickly gave up when her answering machine picked up. He punched in the number to the main house line and waited, hoping that somebody would pick up.

"Daddy?"

Dawn's quivering voice shook Xander to the point that he almost hung up from not recognizing it. "Dawnie?"

The pre teen let out a breath, "Xan…"

"Yeah," his brow furrowed and he held the phone tightly to his ear. "What's the matter?" He almost already knew, but a part of him still didn't want to hear it. "Is Buffy there?"

"Nmmhmm," the younger girl's voice hummed through the receiver with a slight shaky quality. "She was…she came in this morning…."

"Was she alright?" Another question that Xander already know the answer to.

"Nmmhmm," the previous answer was repeated. "She was all pale and…she passed out Xander. Mom and Dad took her to the hospital and…I've just been sitting here. I don't know what's happening…"

Xander listened to Buffy's little sister break down in tears over the phone and he hurried to console her the best that he could. "It'll be ok Dawnie," he whispered. "They'll call soon. I'm sure that she's ok… I…" he didn't know if he believed his own statement and he wanted nothing more than to get off of the phone before his own voice belayed his feelings. "I'm gonna go Dawn. I'm going to try to get some more information. You just sit tight and wait for your parents to call…I'll try to see if I can get there."

"Ok," Dawn sniffed. 

"Don't cry D-miester." Xander tried to make his voice smile. "Buffy'll be a pain in your ass again in no time."

Dawn tried to laugh a little. "Sometimes she's not so bad."

Xander knew that the little girl was scared when she would defend her sister to anyone, especially him. "Yea, I know." he smile a little. "I'm gonna go. I'll call back in a few."

"Alright Xander." 

He stayed on the line until the soft click signaled that Dawn had hung up first before he put down the receiver. He jumped up from his perch on Giles' desk and ran back into the main room. "She passed out," he said hurriedly and the Englishman's head snapped up from the page he was engrossed in. "I'm going to the hospital."

"Xander, wait." The boy turned to face him and Giles stood up from the table. "Don't you think that you should find Willow first? The hospital is the safest possible place…"

"Go to the office and have her paged." Xander shook his head and started back out of the swinging doors. "I have to go."

"Bloody hell," Giles mumbled at the empty room while he watched Xander disappear in a run down the hall. "I'll never find this thing without his description." He cleaned his glasses again while he made his way back to the table and looked back down at the book.

"The Vardilus demon." 

Giles' head snapped up and he found himself looking at the souled helper vampire who now stood on the slightly raised second floor of the library. "Angel," the Watcher greeted heavily.

The vampire moved quickly down the steps to the side of the table and pulled out his drawing from his pocket. He slid it to Giles and watched him study the paper while his own eyes fixed on the contents of Xander's backpack that were spread on the table. "This came from Buffy? All from last night?"

"It appears so," Giles answered distractedly and opened another book. 

"Where's Xander?"

The Watcher glanced up at the monotone question. "He went to the hospital. It appears that Buffy passed out this morning…"

"She's going to die if we don't find this demon." Angel stated. "We need whoever summoned it and we need to take it from them."

"Die?" Giles let his book shut and he looked at the immortal being with wide eyes.

"That stuff on those towels – its poison. The Vardilus aims for the heart, but Xander pushed Buffy to the side at the last minute. It missed."

"Meaning?"

"That she's deteriorating from the inside out." Angel filled in. "Unless we can get her the heart of the demon she's going to die."

"How do you know all of this?" Giles asked with a sense of awe while he studied the vampire.

"I've got my sources." Angel slide into a chair at the head of the table. "But I don't know the most important piece of information."

"Who did this?" Giles nodded, his eyes fixed to Angel's pencil drawing.

+++

+++

"Shit." Xander shut his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. The bell had rung while he was in the library, and everybody who he could think of that would drive him to the hospital had headed to class…or had left already themselves. He didn't want to, but if worse came to worse he would foot it the five miles to the hospital.

He wandered the hall in search of any licensed stragglers, and not for the first time cursed Tony Harris for being one of the hugest ass holes in the history of the world. Xander was headed out to the student parking lot in hopes of seeing anybody while debating on whether or not he should go to history and try to talk Cordelia into taking him – a last resort if there ever was one, but a completely dealable situation if it would get him to Buffy. He stopped with a relieved smile when he saw a slightly familiar face focused on the face of a row of lockers. "Oz?!"

The now black haired boy turned his dedicated study away from his locker to face the person who had called his name. "Hey," he offered with an indifferent shrug. Oz recognized Xander from around school, and mostly now because he was one of Willow's best friends. "What's up?" His voice still didn't relay any show of emotion.

Xander jogged up to the smaller boy and smile awkwardly.  "A hell of a lot actually," he started and Oz watched him intently waiting for him to continue. "Have you seen Willow, actually?"

"See? Yes. I saw her." Oz nodded tightly. "Actually spoken to, not to much."

Xander nodded. "I need a huge favor man." Oz was hardly even an associate of his and it felt a little weird asking for things from somebody that he hardly knew, but he had to do what he had to do. 

"Name it." Oz said out of the blue, creating a higher sense of comfort that Xander sighed a relieved breath at.

"Buffy's real sick," he swallowed, "Like in the hospital sick, and I sorta need a ride over there."

Oz nodded. "Ok. You ready now?" He pulled his keys out of his pocket. "I hate chem anyway."

Xander smiled a little more and followed behind Oz down the hall towards the parking lot. "Do you know what's the matter with her?" Oz's stoic demeanor held a matching sense of urgency at Xander's apparent agitation, but he simply shook his head.

"She wasn't feeling well last night." He said finally as they climbed into Oz's van and he started the engine. "I called her house and her sister said that she passed out."

"Whoa." Oz's simple response was relayed with a slight widening of his eyes, but he stayed focused on the street.

Xander fidgeted nervously in his seat. "Thanks for doing this man."

"Anytime." Oz nodded. "You'd do the same for me."

Xander nodded and looked out of the window while Oz pulled into the hospital parking lot. "If you see Willow," he turned with his hand already on the door handle before the car pulled to a complete stop, "Tell her…"

"To go to the library." Oz stated with a nod and met Xander's confused stare. "You three always hang out in there," he filled in. "That's where I always see you anyway. I'll find her and tell her the deal when I get back."

"Thanks." Xander said quietly and slid out of the passenger side.

"Tell Buffy I said to feel better," Oz added uncertainly before Xander shut the door. "Even if she's not awake, I saw this movie where they said that unconscious people can hear you talk to them – helps them wake up."

Xander's brow furrowed while he considered what Oz had just told him. "Huh…that's pretty interesting actually. Hopefully she's awake, but I'll tell her." He slammed the door shut and ran through the automatic doors of the emergency room.

+++

+++

Dr. Griffon studied the chart in front of him while he tried to relate what he had ascertained from his patient to her, rightfully, worried parents. Truthfully, he didn't have a lot he could tell them. He had never really seen anything like the young teenager's wound and she still wasn't responding to any of the stock antibiotics that they were still pumping into her.

"We administered rabies shots in addition to the penicillin drip for the bite." He could only assume that it was a bite, because nothing that she may have fallen on or been attacked with would have been able to cause such a violent reaction in such a small amount of time. "I am assuming that I'm dealing with a high grade infection, but my main concern is dropping her fever."

"Will she wake up after that?" Joyce asked, wringing her hands anxiously. Hank sensed her worry and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder. He was feeling the same thing that she was, but was doing a much better job at hiding it – or repressing it…the fact that his baby girl was laying in guarded condition, not even in the ICU, yet because of her instability. Buffy had been perfectly fine the day before. Arguing with him and Dawn, play fighting with Xander, getting ready to go to the Bronze and just be a kid. Now…now they were telling him that if Buffy's fever of 105 continued to rise and they were unable to stop it there was an exponential chance that her brain would stop functioning all together.

The doctor crossed his arms low around his waist. "That's what we're hoping for." He paused and eyed the girl's parents. "You wouldn't happen to know of any animals that she may have come in contact with…I showed you the bite – the staff and I are just at a loss of what might have caused it."

"Then this is some sort of reaction?" Hank tilted his head towards Joyce. He could tell that she was trying fruitlessly to recall whether or not she had seen Buffy interacting with any animals that may have caused this to happen.

"I would have to say that it is." Dr. Griffon nodded. "I'm ruling out a dog bite simply because I wasn't able to fine a definite bite pattern, but an exotic maybe? Do any of your neighbors maybe have an animal illegally that may have gotten free?"

Joyce shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."

Dr. Griffon sighed as he was set back to square one. "I called for an infection unit," he told the parents. "I'm hoping that they might be able to shed some more light on the bite. Maybe be able to suggest an antidote."

"Like antivenom?" Hank questioned with a furrowed brow. He had seen something like that on the Discovery Channel, "Could it have been a snake?"

The doctor chuckled despite himself and the gravity of the situation. "I'd love to think so," he shook his head discouraged, "But even if it were, that leads back to the exotic in the neighborhood – and more questions than I have right now. The bite location…the viability of some sort of anaconda hybrid in Sunnydale…There's too much that's not matching up, and I'm afraid that until the staff can make some sort of sense of this that there's not much more that can be done to help."

Joyce's chin shook and she turned more into Hank's shoulder – was pulled closer to him when she released a choked sob. "What does that mean?" her husband's angry question sounded muffled from his shoulder. "We brought her here so that you could at least get her to wake up. She was awake when she came home this morning."

Dr. Griffon hated this aspect of his job. Hope was something that he loved being able to offer families. Especially those that came to him with sick children, but too often it seemed that his hope wasn't an option in the town. "Would there be anybody else that might have seen what happened. Any friends?"

Joyce pulled away from Hank's shoulder, her eyes bright with recollection. "Xander. He was probably with her."

Hank looked down at her and nodded. "Yeah." He lifted his head to face the doctor, "My daughter's friend was out with her last night." He turned back to Joyce, "I'll go call the school and see if they can put me through to him."

Joyce nodded her voice just about a whisper. "And Dawn too. You should go get her while we wait."

"Alright," Hank nodded and dropped his arm from around Joyce's shoulder. "And you'll go in and sit with her," he spoke to his wife but glanced up to the doctor to avow his statement.

"Yes." Dr. Griffon nodded tightly. "Of course. Might help bring Buffy around," he smiled some and reached out his arm to signal Joyce to follow him to the small room that they had set Buffy up in.

"I'll hurry," Hank called after her as she made her way down the hall and made idle chit chat with the doctor at her side. 

"Mr. Summers!"

Both Hank and, the nearly departed, Joyce turned at the familiar voice and saw Xander jogging towards them. "Xander!" Joyce called out and jogged back to where the boy had stopped in front of her husband. "That's Xander," she called back to the doctor excitedly. She pulled the winded teen into a quick hug and then held him out at arms length to study him. "We were just going to try to call you."

Xander swallowed and nodded. Hospitals made him queasy now, especially since the person that he most wanted to be able to protect currently needed to be in one. "I'm sorry," he choked a little, "Buffy…I…"

"Do you know what happened?" Hank's voice was uncharacteristically harsh. He wasn't anger at Xander, per say, but mostly with the lack of control he had over the situation. HE was supposed to be Superman for his little girls, but now he was waiting at the beck and call of doctors and teams and a host of other people that didn't understand the vow that he had made to Buffy when she had been born – that he wouldn't let anything hurt her ever.

"Yes," Dr. Griffon came up behind Joyce and eyed the teenage boy. "If you have any information that could help. Your friend is extremely ill, Xander."

The dark haired boy averted his eyes and felt the tears stinging them. He knew that he couldn't very well say that Buffy was out slaying and a demon attacked and poisoned her. He didn't know what he could say that would be of any help, and he didn't want to lie because he knew first hand, without all of the terms and formal study of the hospital staff, how sick Buffy was; and all he wanted was to make her better. "I don't know," he mumbled finally. "She was fine when I last saw her." He hated himself. Wished he would just disappear into the nothingness he felt when he saw both of Buffy's parents faces fall, and Buffy's doctor turn away briefly with a defeated huff. 

"Xander are you absolutely sure?" Hank gripped the his forearms and forced him to look him in the eyes. "You didn't see Buffy last night? This morning?" Xander's eyes flashed up nervously and Hank caught the look in them. "It's ok Xander…if Buffy spent the night at your house…"

"It was late," Xander's voice shook. "I…she didn't…"

"Xander, honey," Joyce pleaded in a softer tone. "It's so important. They don't know if they can get her to wake up," she literally saw Xander's heart slam to a stop for a brief second in his chest. "Did you see anything happen to her last night? You can tell us, please."

"Anything…any animal that may have attacked you two?" Dr. Griffon pressed urgently.

Xander looked around to the three adults and fought back tears at all it took to do what he was about to do. "Can I see her?" he asked with a shaky voice. "Please. I just…can I see her?" He just wanted to let her know that he didn't abandon her – leave her anywhere to suffer. Then he could call Giles and tell him – get him working double time on trying to fix her. 

"Xander." Hank pressed. 

He shook his head slightly. "I didn't see anything," he whispered. "We went to the Bronze and then went back to my house. There was nothing on the way." Lies…all lies. But what could Buffy's parents and these doctors do anyway. What could anybody but Giles do to make Buffy better? Nothing. "Can I see her now? Please Mr. Summers."

"Yeah," Hank sighed and dropped his hands from Xander's arms. "Take him back."

"I'm afraid that I'm only going to be able to allow Buffy one visitor at a time," Dr. Griffon spoke to Joyce, who had been ready to go sit with Buffy herself.

"It's alright," Joyce sighed and rested her hand on the dejected looking Xander's shoulder. "He can go in before me."

"Thank you Mrs. Summers," Xander whispered and was pushed lightly to follow the doctor. 

"I'll be waiting here until you're done, Sweetie."

Her kind words and voice only served to make Xander feel worse so he simply nodded his response.

"He knows something," Hank spoke with narrowed eyes as he watched Xander turn into Buffy's room and leave the doctor standing in the hall. "I know that he knows something."

"If he did he would tell us…he's Xander. He loves Buffy and he would want to help…"

"He's not." Hank bit out and Joyce flinched slightly. "He might be hurting her more."

Joyce shook her head sadly. They both loved Xander like a son, and she refused to believe that he would act in any fashion that wasn't in Buffy's best interest. "If he knows anything he'll tell us," she reassured quietly, but her husband didn't respond. 

"I'm going to go back to the house and pick up Dawnie," he stepped away from Joyce. "If there's any change I have my cell phone on." 

Joyce watched sadly while Hank walked back down the hall with his head down before she slumped back into one of the plastic chairs in the hallway.

~*~*~

Xander stepped cautiously into the small windowless room and his eyes fell to the stark still figure of his best friend lying in the bed in the center. He looked back over his shoulder but found the Dr. Griffon had already walked away, leaving him alone. "Hey Buff," his voice croaked and he cleared his throat. He approached the side of the bed and lifted one leg to sit on its edge. "Been better I guess, huh?"

Xander wasn't sure why he was trying to joke. What he did know was that he wasn't going to even receive a patented blank look from Buffy. He dropped his head and held his hands clasped in his lap. "You know this is the last time I'm ever listening to you right?" he chuckled a little. "I'm sorta glad I don't really know if you can hear me…I hope you can, but I don't think that really matters – but…Angel was right." Xander tilted his head to the side and glanced up to Buffy's pale features, relaxed in an unwitting slumber. "He said that you needed to go see Giles and he was right. I should have made you go."

He was startled by the wet drip that landed on his forearm as it was exposed by the short sleeve shirt t-shirt he was wearing. His voice cracked one final time and the tears started to fall – leaking faster than he could control even through rapid sniffling. Xander reached out and grasped her limp right hand from where it rested at her side, "Buff," he leant forward and moved over to her corresponding ear. "Buffy," he whispered again. "I lied for you. The doctor thinks something bit you…and your parents…I couldn't tell them anything. I didn't know what to say, so I said that I didn't know anything." Xander squeezed his eyes shut and raised his forehead slightly only to let it drop – pressed to the heated skin of her own. "Buffy you can't die, now," he told her without a hint of a smile. "I lied and…if you die because I didn't tell them something I should have…I…I don't know what I'd do."

Xander turned his gaze the monitor to her left and noted the slow and steady ping of her heart beat and shut his eyes again. He brought his left hand up and ran it through the loose hair that was framing her face against the pillow. "I need you Buff. Please don't leave me." He swallowed deeply, "I went to Giles. He's researching as we speak…I speak. You're just listening right? For the first time ever." He wished that he had laughed a little at his joke. Xander leant to the side more and pressed a shaky kiss to the side of Buffy's dry lips and held for a moment. "Please wake up, Buffy," he whispered when he pulled back slightly. He pulled away and sat up, still keeping his hand locked with hers, "C'mon Buff. Slayer, remember. Get up. Fight. Raise hell…punch me in the Adams apple again, and try to convince me that it was an accident…anything, please…"

She didn't move and Xander let his head fall forward with a bitter laugh. "Only in the movies, right." He got to his feet and brought her hand with him, pressing a lingering kiss to her palm before settling back to Buffy's side. "I'm going to go back to school and help Giles…hopefully find Angel. See?" he added with false brightness. "I'm desperate. I'm going to go to Angel for help. But if you wake up," he peered down at her, "it'll be worth it. I'll trust him if he can bring you back." Xander sighed and ran his hand over Buffy's soft blonde hair one more time before stepping back towards the door. "I'll be back," he tossed over is shoulder for no reason in particular. "I'll make it better."

+++

+++

The Cotex. His new favorite book of prophecies – it housed the one that detailed his ascension. It was not meant to be on the night of the Harvest, but his time was coming. Drawing closer with each passing day, and it was coming. She would come to him and set him free. 

The Slayer.

It should be a joyous occasion. The wait for his arrival above ground, but it wasn't. His Hell on earth was suffering and all for want of a moronic little boy with a Napoleon complex who was bent on destroying his former best friend. The girl who was his key out of his supernatural prison was also, apparently, the target for a game of teenage cat and mouse.

"Am I to understand that Jesse summoned a demon to have the Slayer killed?" the Master's voice was eerily calm and the news bearing minion nodded cautiously. 

"A Vardilus demon from Gragor Dimension."  The other vampire spoke up. "And I think he may have succeeded."

"May have?" the little boy who always stayed at the Master's side questioned with dark slit eyes. "Is she still alive?" The minion nodded again. "Then we just have to keep her that way."

"Martin," The Master smiled crookedly at his follower, "Can we do that?"

Martin shrugged his shoulders. "She's been poisoned, Sir," his voice shook through his demonic visage. 

"Then we find the antidote and we cure her." The Master stated matter-of-factly.

"Help the Slayer?" another minion spoke up. 

"Of course," the Anointed spoke up and then stood to his feet to walk around the damp lair. "She will help us."

"Colin," the Master called out in a soft voice – the complete opposite of the horror that was his actual face. "Do be a dear and get that demon to our young Buffy's friends," he bit out the last word. "They will figure out what to do with it then, yes." The boy nodded. "And if they don't," the Master added, "Martin. You help them."

Colin nodded and headed into the sewers, followed by Martin and five other adult vampires. "I don't want that girl dead yet," the Master called out after them and his voice reverberated through the empty cavern. "I need her."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 2c


	8. Up Over Everything 2d

Title: Up Over Everything (2d/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander was near tears, but brimming with determination when he walked out of Buffy's room…until he headed down the hall and saw Joyce sitting in the hall alone with her head bowed towards the floor. The bright lights in the hall made her red rimmed eyes visible even from her profile and his bravado disappeared. His hopefulness crumpled down to the bright linoleum tile and he was reminded that he was withholding information from her. That he knew exactly what had happened to her daughter and was saying nothing. And when Hank turned the corner and locked eyes with him his self-loathing was joined by a hint of fear – but Xander was quick to remind himself that should Buffy's father decide to kick his ass for this, he was well deserving. If he wasn't himself, he would have already punched him in the face.

Hank kept his stride for his wife while locking eyes with Xander, not saying anything, but instead leaving an opening for the teen to approach them. Xander had never been shy around them…not ever once acted the way he was acting now. That was the aspect of the situation that Hank didn't trust.

Xander shuffled up to Buffy's parents and kept his eyes downcast. "I…I haveta…go back to school," he finished and glanced up, finding both Joyce's and Hank's eyes on him, and he shifted on the balls of his feet.

"Alright," Hank nodded and pulled his wife into a tighter hug for a moment. "I'll take you," he stood and glanced back down to Joyce. "I'll pick up Dawnie on the way back. I told her that I'd be there within the hour."

Joyce nodded and then turned back to Xander, hope flickering in her red and slightly watery eyes. Her shoulders were still hunched and, despite her already petite stature, Xander had never seen the woman whom he considered a second mother look smaller. "Was there any change, Sweetie? Did she…was she…"

"She's still sleeping." Xander's eyes fell to the floor again. He was a bad liar. His guilt always shone through, but for some reason – probably the shock of the situation the Summers' were letting him slide by. Maybe they realized that he loved Buffy too…that seeing her like that was hurting him too. "I…" his head shot up and he momentarily flicked his eyes between Buffy's parents. "There's a man," he said unsteadily, "at school…the new librarian." Oh God Xander hated what he was about to do, but he couldn't stand there and face anybody else and offer nothing by way of help. "The new librarian. He's an expert."

Joyce looked at him excitedly, "An expert on what?" she asked before Hank's skepticism could escape his features and be voiced aloud.

Demons and evil Xander scoffed bitterly in his mind. "Bites…animals... You said that's what happened to her. Something bit her." Buffy's father nodded and stood up straighter, his eyes suddenly sparking with anticipation at another helpful avenue possibly being opened. "I could ask him about it. Show him a picture of the bite…maybe he can come here and figure out what to do." Xander watched Hank tilt his head to Joyce and then gesture down the hall – silently telling her to get the photo that Xander had requested. "He has all sorts of books about this type of stuff…and contacts."

"Then I need to talk to him." Hank stated clearly, his eyes darting between Xander and his wife as she jogged back down the hall, a series of Polaroids grasped in her hand as she approached them. "We'll go now."

"I got them," Joyce smiled. She was breathing hard from the jog and the excitement of Xander's news. "They took so many because they've never seen anything like this before," she told Xander before pressing them into his hand.

Hank watched Xander's breath hitch when he glanced down and caught sight of one of the photos. It was the same reaction he had – a queasy shock at the gruesome sight of the bruised and infected skin on Buffy's back. "Let's go Xander," he said sternly and turned down the hall.

Xander nodded and forced his eyes up from the pictures and to Hank's retreating form, then turned briefly to a hopeful Joyce. She smiled at him and nodded, her hands clasped under her chin as if in a constant silent prayer. "I'll fix this Mrs. Summers. I promise," Xander's voice barely above a rough whisper. She nodded at him and he watched as tears welled up in her eyes. "I won't let anything happen to Buffy…"

"Go," she smiled and gave him a gentle nudge down the hall after her husband. "Go keep your word." The boy gave her a labored smile. "She'll be fine until you get back," she assured him, noting his remaining hesitance. She had faith in the fact that no matter what she would at least have until Xander got back…her daughter would never go anywhere without Xander. Joyce's heart clenched momentarily – she didn't want her daughter to go anywhere. She watched Xander jog down the hall and out of the automatic doors that Hank had exited through previously. "I told him that you only want to her," she whisper to herself before turning and making her way, almost numbly, back to Buffy's room to sit with her. "Prove me right Xander. Please prove me right."

~*~*~

Willow squinted at the computer screen and then glanced back down at her note pad. The boy Oz, who wasn't even in her English class, had slipped into the room and waved her over to him from the door – completely ignoring the confused stares from both her teacher and her fellow students as she walked to him. She had fought down a wave of butterflies at his seeking her out, but while she had been in the hall talking to him he had received a page over the loud speaker and the teacher had slipped out into the hall to excuse her without question. As soon as she left Oz, who seemed oddly nervous and unable to meet her eyes, while he explained that he had just driven Xander to the hospital to see Buffy, and turned the corner toward the principals office her worry skyrocketed straight into sheer terror as she ran right into Giles. He looked flustered and scared and was speaking more brokenly than normal while he offered a more confusing explanation to what the problem was while they headed back to the library.

She hadn't been able to pick up much more than a demon attacked last night and Buffy and Xander went to the hospital, which did nothing to calm her nerves. But, unexpectedly, once they reached their destination, Angel stood and calmly explained everything. Oh yeah, she was still uber-worried, but at least now she understood the reality of the situation. Angel had handed her a ruined cloth and told her that it was what remained of Buffy's shirt and had been soaked in a serum that they needed identified. That Buffy had been poisoned and that they hoped that once they knew what was on the shirt that they could find an antidote.

She stared at the shirt which had obviously been cut open and the large dark stain on the back…it was a lot of whatever that stuff was. Poor Buffy she remembered thinking initially. Now she was back at terror. Willow taught herself in the fly from old tombs that Giles had thrust into her arms in her way out of the library while she worked in a vacant class room, testing scrapings from the dried substance on the shirt for acidity. 

She knew that Angel and Giles were working on the literature portion of the research for obvious reasons…Angel wasn't free to walk around the school, and Giles probably couldn't find his way around a chemistry lab any better than he could find a Jessica MacClintock in the mall. So the science and computer part were up to her, since Xander had left campus to be with Buffy. Between her various tests and speed reading photocopies of other tests for poisons that Giles occasionally rushed to her, she almost felt jealous that Xander had rushed so quickly to Buffy's side. But then she kept reminding herself that, not only would he probably do the same for her…both he and Buffy, but Buffy was more than best friend to him now. Of course he would be blind to everything but getting to her. Willow wanted that for herself. She was forcing herself to give up on Xander, but she wouldn't be opposed to something identical to what her two new friends shared for herself with somebody different.

But Willow was quick to dispel wavering thoughts as she jotted down the mixed the appropriate chemicals to set off reactions. There were more important matters at hand than petty jealousy. Her best friend's life was hanging in the balance.

"Hey guys," Willow glanced up briefly from and beckoned to the two men who were quiet heated discussion across the room. "I found some things." Angel jogged over to her side and leant over her shoulder and focused on the screen, forcing Willow to lean over to the side to keep a comfortable distance between herself and the vampire. 

"Yes Willow?" Giles asked, equally as urgent in his tone, but choosing to lean on the edge of the table and await the answer.

"The stuff in the shirt," she darted her eyes between Angel and Giles before scooping up her note book and pushing herself up from the table. "It's…it's more like bacteria…"

"So an infection?" Angel's monotone question earned a nod. 

"A serious high grade infection," Willow specified. 

"So antibiotics possibly?" Giles offered hopefully. He removed his glasses and wiped them clean before slipping the ear piece between his teeth and holding them there while he retrieved another text from the table. "Maybe we can find an alternate solution to…"

"Not likely." Willow shook her head. "This is like…" she mined her thoughts for an example, but Angel spoke, already seeming to know what she was searching for.

"We already know the antidote," his voice didn't waiver. "We're not dealing with something from this plane. Nothing naturally from Earth will do anything against this."

Willow nodded. "You know how we have Ebola…it eats the outside? Well," she set into answering her own question, "This is the opposite…it's all inside until there's nothing left." All three pairs of sad eyes dropped to the floor.

"Angel," Giles swallowed and the vampire looked up. "Would you be so kind as to scower your sources," the Watcher hesitated and spoke in a low voice. "We must find out who summoned this demon and retrieve what we need to cure Buffy."

The vampire nodded and took a small step back to the stacks and nodded. "I'm on it."

Willow looked up, "How many evil sects are there that would want Buffy dead?" Both men looked at her and she gulped at the skeptical expression on their faces. "Ok…" the red head swallowed, "So there're probably a few…"

"Angel." Giles prompted the vampire's leave.

"BUT…" Willow spoke up and all movement ceased again. "How many do we know…I mean, what? We've dealt with, like, two, right? The Master and…" she hated the second one more than anything. The boy who's place she had taken. Buffy and Xander's lost best friend. "Jesse."

Angel nodded. "So we narrow down our search."

"Yes. Drastically." Giles turned a proud gaze to Willow. "Good thinking."

The young girl beamed. "Thanks…" She was cut off as the swinging door of the library burst open, but not with the expected familiar face behind them.

"Mr. Giles," the new man said, not asking, but more beginning a statement. "I'm Hank Summers; one of the students, Buffy's, father." 

"Yes, Buffy…"Giles offered his hand to the man, but kept his eyes focused on Xander who trudged in behind him with his hands in his pockets, eyes locked on the floor. "Pleasure to meet you," the Englishman offered, unsure of just how much Xander had revealed about the situation at hand. 

"I wish it were under better circumstances," Hank didn't even grin. "Willow?" he offered his daughter's friend with a surprised tone, finally seeming to notice other people in the room. What's she doing here?

She offered him a feeble wave and a weak smile. "Hi Mr. Summers." Willow locked eyes with Xander over the man's shoulder and he answered with a wide eyed shrug at how to handle the situation before she saw his eyes dart to Angel, who stood nervously in the back of the room.

"Xander, here, told me that you were an expert on animal bites," Hank started immediately, reaching behind him for Xander to give him the photos, which he did dutifully. He handed them over to the other man, "Buffy was attacked by something last night," he glanced briefly back to Xander, who wilted and slipped from behind him to the table. "The doctors have never seen this and its all they have to go on."

Giles studied the pictures of the wound that Xander had described to him earlier and soon found himself shadowed on his sides by both Willow and Angel. He heard the young girl inhale a sharp breath and a low growl from the demon at the images. Giles shut his eyes before forcing them up to meet those of Buffy's father. Verbal depictions and written accounts did little justice to what the poison…bacteria, which the Vardilus injected into its victim. He could only imagine what it must feel like to be the one inflicted with something like that…he was almost glad, for Buffy's sake, that she wasn't conscious to have to suffer too much. 

"Have you ever seen anything like that before?" Hank's voice broke into his inner monologue. "In your books? Xander said that you had contacts that might be able to help…that you could call…"

"Yes," Giles was briefly upset that Xander had moved from behind Mr. Summers so that he could not glare at him anymore. "I…I may have seen something," he turned back to Willow, absently handing the pictures to Angel as he stepped back to the computer and her idle notebook. "I shall make some calls. Check my books." Giles 

Hank nodded and took a step to follow the other man, his eyes falling to the table in the center of the room. "Lugenstien's Demonology Annals?" He was looking at the pencil drawing on the open page of the large book, and missed both Xander and Willow's eyes going wide – frozen in place and unsure of how to react. Giles glanced up worriedly from his reading, his next statement lost in horror at Hank's question.

Angel jumped into action and reached around Buffy's father and slammed the book shut. "That's mine," he picked up the book and hid it away from his view.

Hank looked up at him with slit eyes and Angel fidgeted under his gaze…he heard Xander laugh under his breath too. "Are you a student?" his voice was skeptical while he eyed the older looking man.

"No," Angel answered quickly. "I…I'm a friend…of Buffy's."

"Tutor." Willow corrected quickly when Hank's mouth opened to question him. "He's a tutor of Buffy's."

"Yeah," Angel nodded quickly. "Tutor Buffy…a friend of Giles'…Mr. Giles. I'm Angel." 

"The children call me Giles." The Watcher added from behind the action.

Hank's brow furrowed at the rise in tension in the room. It was almost as if he had stepped into a private world…as if his presence were disturbing a previously existing universe. 

"Angel goes to the college, don't you?" Xander added, and the vampire nodded. "Work study right?"

"Yeah…from the college."

"He tutor's Buffy in history." Xander continued. "They've gotten so close over it, it's like they're friends." He finished with a smile, but when Buffy's father frowned at his statement, he realized that it needed amendment. "Not _close_ close…friend close. Cuz he's too old. Right Angel."

The vampire shot the boy a glare, but was met with a sickeningly sweet grin. "Yeah…"

"I mean," Xander smirked and traced his fingers over the oak table he stood beside. "It'd be illegal for somebody your age to involve yourself with a high schooler…a sixteen year old, at that. You'd be loc…"

"Xander?" Giles interrupted the teenager from behind. The enjoyment that Buffy's dark haired friend was getting from seeing her demon helper squirm could wait until the task at hand was handled. "Angel was just about to make a run for me," he glanced between all the occupants in the room. "I could use your help finding this information for Mr. Summers."

"Have you found anything?" Hank asked, forgetting about Buffy's too old friend completely. 

Giles swallowed. "Not yet, no."

"I can go," Angel spoke the true meaning of the statement with his eyes.

"Yes." Giles nodded. "You go…and do hurry, please."

"Go where?" Xander perked up, narrowing his eyes at Buffy's Watcher.

Giles stuttered for an answer. "Supply run," Willow piped up, trying not to meet Hank's eyes. "New history books…for the tutoring."

Xander's suspicious gaze never faltered. "Do you know where the…books…are?"

Angel met his eyes. "We have a couple ideas."

"Well," Xander stepped towards Angel. "we'll need those books, like, yesterday…"

"I'm well aware." Angel bit out. The tension spread out beyond himself and Buffy's boyfriend, to include everybody in the room.

"Are we getting a deal on them?" Xander asked next, his eyes darting from Giles to Angel. "From a _friend_." They both caught the venom in his voice when he bit the last work out. 

Hank shook his head, "Does this person know about animal bites?" he asked, "Because if not, I'm going to have to ask that this argument be put on hold until…"

"If it's the right guy, I know he knows." Xander said coldly. His eyes telling Angel that he knew exactly what was being planned, as well as letting him know that he would not sit idly by while the souled vamp went on fighting to save Buffy's life without him.

"Then by all means, go." Hank took a step up towards Giles. "I'll stay here with Willow and Mr. Giles and… research…this." He turned his gaze to the computer screen, but this time didn't speak his question aloud. Oxford University Mythology Department? But he saw the same picture as was in the book that the man…Angel…had tried to hide from him. "A Vardilus?"

This time Willow jumped towards the machine, her hand slamming down on the keyboard and closing the window she had been studying. "Angel's teaching me about mythology," she offered meekly.

"Mr. Summers is right," Xander spoke up, now standing shoulder to shoulder with his vampire counterpart. "I'm going with you."

"Xander," three separate voices spoke in warning, almost in unison.

"I'm going." The teen spoke sternly to the room. "This guy knows what did it Mr. Summers," he assured. "And he's going to tell us." Xander fixed Angel with a steady look, leaving no room for further discussion. "Let's go." He walked out of the library ahead of the vampire.

Angel set his jaw and glanced to Giles, but was offered no more than a shrug. "Keep an eye on him," the Watcher pleaded with a stern tone and set eyes.

"As always," the demon mumbled and turned to follow the boy's path.

"Mr. Summers," Giles spoke, as he handed the notebook back to Willow. "I appreciate your offer, but I think that we have everything under control here."

"I want to help," Hank told him, his voice wavering for the first time since he stepped into the room. "My little girl…" He took a long blink, "Do you have any children, Mr. Giles?"

Giles' eyes flicked away and he briefly thought of how, since he came to this town, there were three children whom he felt dedicated to. This man's child for one, held his top priority. Buffy, Xander, and Willow had come to mean more to him than he had every expressed aloud. "No," he answered instead. "But I have been working here for the past few months…"

"Well then," Hank interrupted him, "then you've never been in the room when your first daughter was born and promised her that you'd protect her always. Buffy…she's my baby, Mr. Giles," he gulped and forced down a tear. "I can't just sit at that hospital and…"

Giles nodded. "I hope to never understand what you're going through, so I cannot pretend to completely understand…" he thought for a moment. He needed to get Buffy's father out of his library so that further research into the _demon_ responsible could be carried out. "But for the sake of your wife…for Buffy…don't you think it more poignant for you to be with them? By Buffy's side?"

"A…and Dawn?" Willow spoke up quietly. 

Hank's eyes widened and he nodded a little. "Dawn," he shook his head as if he were clearing it. "I forgot about…" he was already heading back to the swinging doors.

"I will keep looking…"

"And I have yours and Mrs. Summers' numbers." Willow tried to be upbeat, "I can call as soon as we know something."

"Sooner than that," Hank pleaded. "Please sooner than that. The doctors…they don't know how much longer…"

"We will find out how to fix this," Giles spoke steadily. "I've come to know your daughter…she's a lovely child and I would not see anything happen to her. I assure you."

Hank nodded and placed a shaky hand on the door, pushing it slightly ajar. "You'll call, Willow?" It wasn't a question. He was telling her to call and she nodded in agreement. He returned the gesture and walked out of the room.

Giles watched him disappear through the glass portal and let his eyes fall shut momentarily. "We'll work until we hear from Angel and Xander." He slid into the seat next to Willow and pulled a book towards himself.

She nodded and assumed that he didn't want to discuss what had just happened until later. There was already too much to deal with as is. But one lingering thought shot through her mind as she restarted the computer. "Are they going after Jesse?"

Giles didn't look up but offered a sound that was a semi-grunt. "I'm assuming so."

Willow nodded. "You think they'll get what they need?" She remembered Angel saying something about a demon brain and Buffy having to ingest it in passing to Giles. "The...y'know…"

"The brain of the Vardilus?" Giles stayed focused. "We can only hope. For Buffy's sake."

Willow nodded again. "Do you…do you think that Angel and Xander…" she faltered and bit her lip. "You think they'll kill each other?" she settled.

"For Buffy's sake…We can only hope that civility will rule their higher mind…"

"So you think they'll be fine together?" Willow's lip turned up in disbelief. She had never seen Xander physically hate anybody, not even Cordelia, until she witnessed his interactions with Buffy's self-appointed undead follower. 

Giles glanced back up from his book and fixed his eyes to the opposite wall. His mind ran through various scenarios based on Xander's relationship with Angel, and he could not think of one thing to say. 

~*~*~

Joyce watched with wide wet eyes while Buffy's doctor shook his head briefly at the nurse-aid from the cradle of his stethoscope. He set the unconscious girl's arm back down at her side. "Pulse is 36 beats a minute," he reported quietly. "Blood pressure is stabilized at 85/52."

"Isn't that low?" Joyce's voice trembled. She had always remembered something higher during all the trips to the pediatrician she had taken since Buffy was born. Never that low.

"Yes," Dr. Griffon nodded and removed the beeping thermometer from Buffy's mouth. "But not fatal," he added confidently. "I've seen plenty lower in patients that have walked in here on their own." He caught the disbelieving look that the nurse shot him and sent her a short glare that sent her back to work checking the various drips surrounding the bed. "She's still running a fever," he spoke to the nurse who stopped to record the new information in the chart that sat next to Buffy's thigh. "It's up to 106.3…getting close to crunch time" he didn't turn to meet the mother's gaze when he mumbled the after thought.

"We're waiting for the results from the infection unit," He fixed Joyce with a hopeful smile. "They should be here shortly. 

The 'unit' consisting of two twenty something med students had come in shortly after Hank had left to take Xander back to school and drawn more blood from her daughter, before morosely wandering back down the hall in the direction that they had arrived from. Joyce despised the monotony in which they carried out their job, as if they weren't handling the most precious thing in her life. "Well…thank you." She had said that repeatedly since she had gotten to the hospital. It seemed that it was the only thing to say – and once again she received a nod in acceptance. It was, after all, the doctor's job to do all he could for his patients.

"I'd hate to jump to any conclusions," Dr. Griffon let his smile die without his, now customary 'all in a days work' response to her gratitude. "But when your husband returns we should discuss some precautions…"

Joyce wandered out of the conversation momentarily…out of her body and floated away from the room. Out of the dark place where she was holding onto her little girl's motionless hand for dear life. She had, all of the sudden, never wanted Hank to return more in her life – as if it would delay whatever the doctor wanted to talk to her about. 

But he was still talking. Still watching her and relaying whatever gut wrenching message that he felt she just _had to know._

"Buffy's fever…her general condition isn't improving." Dr. Griffon spoke steadily and saw Joyce's eyes fixed on the relaxed face of the young girl in the bed. "And I think that there are some options to consider…"

Her voice cracked and sounded so far away in her own ears. "Can you just tell me? I don't see how you can start this conversation and then ask me to wait." Impatience and anger bubbling through the heartache and the helplessness. Telling this man what she wanted to hear and when gave her back some of the control.

The doctor simply nodded. "Of course…" He swallowed and motioned Joyce to one of the leather padded chairs by the wall of the featureless room. "As a last resort, I've scheduled a spinal tap," he only spoke when he was sure that the woman in front of him was paying complete attention. "I would like to keep track of the spread of the venom into her brain stem…uhm…I'm going to keep her on the antibiotics until the end…"

"Until the end?!" Joyce's head snapped around and her eyes sparked with anger at the very concept. "The end of what exactly?! And don't you dare say that all you can do now is make her comfortable! Don't you dare say that to me…"

"Until we hear from the infection team, that's all I can offer you." Dr. Griffon shook his head.

Joyce's voice shook. "No," she stood on wobbly legs and pushed herself to Buffy's side, talking her hand again and holding on tight.

"I've alerted the staff priest." Dr. Griffon continued quietly and speaking to her back. "I've told him the situation and I think…" Joyce glanced over her shoulder at the man who had just stood up from his seat. "I…" he wanted to apologize again, he really did. "I recommend that you have her Final Rites read, before hand…"

"No," Joyce broke down. Loud sobs racking her body as she bend over her prone daughter's form. Dr. Griffon, moved closer behind her and lifted his hand to place it on the now bawling woman's back, but he stopped and withdrew. "I'm sorry about the situation," he reiterated. "When your husband returns, I can suggest a hospital counselor to talk to you…Grief counseling…"

Joyce shut her eyes against the tears…hoping vaguely that they could block out his words as well. But that's not what did it. Her heart beat pounding in her ears and the sounds of her own choked sobs turned her deaf to the news that she least wanted to hear.

~*~*~

Angel was walking two steps ahead of him and Xander kept his suspicious gaze locked on the vampires back. He was slightly wigged that Angel seemed to know the ins and outs of ever sewer in the school – giving him free access to any number of the student population at any time of day. Xander hadn't known before how easy it was for vampires to prey on them, but was thankful that they, with the exception of Angel, were mostly only out at night. He didn't know what he would do if he had to worry about passing Algebra and dodging undead on the way to class…he'd probably just pick dealing with the undead.

Angel had led him to the boys' locker room and lifted up a grate in the rear of the room, that besides the naked factor, Xander had always considered safe. That was their ticket into the sewer and that's where they were now. Xander assumed that Angel knew where he was going because he hadn't even looked at him so far to revel a location.

"So…" Xander said after a while, his voice echoing off of the damp brick walls. "Are we gonna split up?"

Angel chuckled out loud at the question and noted the slight hesitance in the boy's voice. "Not likely," Angel huffed out. "I have expressed orders to be on foolish teenager watch until this whole situation blows over." His back was turned and he didn't see Xander sneer at the back of his head. "We're going to go check out to see what the Master's working with. I think that they would want her dead the most…foiling the Harvest and all."

"Good," Xander nodded shortly and took some jogging steps to walk at Angel's side when he heard a tapping noise echoing behind him. "Stay together…we'll be like…"

"Batman and Robin," Angel cut his eyes to his cohort.

"Alright." Xander agreed while casting his eyes behind them once more. He could hear something…like steps…or…something.

Angel stopped suddenly and held his hand out to his side, stopping Xander when it collided with his stomach. 

"What?" the teenager asked worriedly. "Is there something there?"

Angel's face split into more of a smile than Xander had ever seen the demon wear. "No," the vampire's grin infected his voice. "I just wanted to see you jump."

"Ha Ha, Deadboy," Xander pushed his arm from in front of him and took a step ahead. "Don't do that anymore, or I'll…"

"You'll what?" Angel challenged pushing past him. "Tell Buffy on me?"

Xander pointed at the vampire's back again. "Yeah! She'll let me stake you, you know."

"Sure," Angel nodded sarcastically and pressed forward. He slipped into his demonic vestige and let, his now glowing, eyes scan the dark tunnel. "You must ask yourself that if she wanted me dead so much, how come I'm still around. Ever think about that?"

Xander fell silent and shifted his eyes over surroundings that he couldn't see clearly. "She says that you two want the same thing. That you want to see them all dead."

"True." Angel nodded. "But," Angel kept his voice casual, "your friend does an awful good job of fighting down her instinct. Buffy was born to kill me. It seems to me that, at least half the time now, she's not even thinking about that…"

"And the other half of the time Giles is justifying her not running a pike through your ass." Xander saw Angel's stride falter. "Didn't know that did you, huh Deadboy?"

"Don't call me that," Angel demanded over his shoulder.

"Or what?" Xander repeated his earlier taunt, following him blindly further into the darkness. His anger was quiet and seething. "You'll kill me? Rip my throat out, like your instinct is telling you to do? You'd be dust before I'd even hit the ground." 

Angel growled and was about to turn to face the arrogant boy when he picked up a slight scent in the air. He had caught it before, but assumed that it was just lingering odor from the demons that frequented this path, but it was stronger now. It was getting closer.

"You don't know her," Xander continued oblivious as he stopped behind the vampire. "You keep thinking that you have all the ups on the Slayer, and that may be true. I've never met one. But I've know Buffy my whole life, so don't get so high on yourself th…"

"Shut up." Angel barked in a quiet whisper over his shoulder.

"Don't pull that crap with me aga…"

Angel turned quickly and fastened his open palm over Xander's mouth His grip loosened, however, when Xander pushed him away violently and stumbled back into the brick wall opposite him. 

"Never touch me!" Xander shouted and jumped back towards the vampire. "You don't eve…"

"Would you shut the hell up!" Angel yelled and stood, snarling in the teenagers face. "We're being followed."

Xander eyes widened and he turned his head left then right in search of possible threats. "What? How do you know? Are we close…is it the Master?"

"I can smell it," Angel spoke in a harsh whisper and briefly caught Xander's intense worried expression through his peripheral when he slipped into his vampire face again. "My 'eww' trait." Xander nodded. "And there're no more rats."

Xander looked down at the floor and noticed that Angel's observation was correct. "You guys eat rats too?"

"If necessary."

"You guys are real winners, you know that?" Xander said disgustedly. 

Angel ignored him and took a step back in the direction that they had come from, putting Xander behind him. He could hear footfalls…about four of them approaching at a leisurely pace. What the hell? It doesn't sound like an attack… He reached under his long duster and pulled a short dagger from his sheaf sewn into the lining. "Here," he turned and handed the blade to the boy behind him. Xander took it was a shaky hand, his eyes wide and flicking between the weapon and the direction that Angel assumed that the danger was coming from. "Stay behind me."

"That's the plan," Xander whispered and gripped the dagger tightly. His palms were already sweating while he braced himself for a possible attack. He knew running wasn't an option, and that when it came down to it, it would be himself and Angel against whatever was making it's way…slowly…towards them. 

Angel tensed suddenly and Xander followed his lead when the threat came into sight. "Are they vampires?" Xander whispered roughly into Angel's ear, and received a nod, although he did not tearing his eyes away from the three 'men' that stopped a good distance away from them. He watched as the last remaining member, the one in the lead, a little boy, pointed at himself and Angel and then stepped to the side and allowed his followers to pass. "What are they doing? What's going on?"

"Let's save the Sunnydale Inquisition until after we kill things, okay." Angel replied while stepping into a fighting stance and not breaking his focus ahead. He could feel Xander nodding vigorously behind him and mentally shook his head – he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe that the boy hadn't run screaming back to the high school since he had been able to literally taste his fear since they had walked out of the library. "What do you want?" Angel barked out. Xander jumped slightly at the vampires tone, having never heard him speak that loud in the past, and having never heard that distinct a growl in his voice.

"To help you," the  vampire in front of the group spoke steadily – almost a bit reluctantly.

"Help us what?" Angel continued to try to feel them out.

"Save her." He stopped short and in the face of the vampire and his human companion. "We're here to save the Slayer."

~*~*~

"I spoke to the librarian at the high school," Hank spoke solemnly as he led Dawn by the shoulder into Buffy's room.  "He's looking into it. He said that he'd seen…"

"They want to read her Final Rites!" Joyce interrupted with tears still in her eyes when Hank arrived back at the hospital with Dawn. A part of her realized that she probably shouldn't be so vocal about her insistent nagging terror at the bleak situation for the benefit of her youngest daughter, but she just couldn't hold back anymore. She all but collapsed into her husband's arms trapping a  crying Dawn between them. And all Hank could do was warp his arms around his family.

He forgot what he had intended to say, and his wife's grip around his waist didn't force the air out of his lungs, the sheer shock of what she had said did. "When was that decided?"

Joyce sniffled and shook her head. "I don't know. Dr. Griffon did a spinal tap a few minutes ago…and the fever…he's getting the results from the infection unit now." Hank nodded and she felt Dawn's thin arms wrap around her just below her husbands. She could here the ten year old sniffle and feel the slightly damp spot on her shirt from where the girl's tears were saturating through the fabric. "Oh Dawnie," she tried to smile, but what actually showed was a sad imitation as she pulled away from Hank and hugged the small girl to her chest. "Are you alright baby?"

Dawn kept her face buried in her mother's stomach and willed for nobody to see her chin tremble. "I don't want Buffy to die," her already small voice a choked whisper.

"Oh baby," Hank cut in when he saw Joyce's face contort with a fresh wave of tears. "Buffy's not going anywhere. You know how stubborn you big sister is." His younger daughter nodded but didn't pull away from her mother, so Hank settled for running his hand through her long brown hair. "She's going to be ok, the doctors are going to get her to wake up and…"

"Glad to see you back, Mr. Summers," The now familiar voice of Dr. Griffon broke into his reassurance speech. "I spoke to Joyce while you were gone," he hesitated and glanced down at the newer younger occupant of the room.

"This is my other daughter, Dawn," Hank told him, but crossed his arms across his chest, belaying any sense of comfort.

"Hello Dawn," Dr. Griffon titled his head to try to catch her eyes, but Dawn turned her face away. 

Normally she would have been scolded for being rude and disrespectful, but this time her mother just held her tighter. "She's just worried about her big sister," Joyce offered, catching a wave of strength for a split second while running her hand over Dawn's hair, and the doctor nodded.

"Rightfully so. Well, I'm sure that your being here will only help here, Dawn." The doctor offered a one sided smile again. "I have the results from the tests," he faced Buffy's parents again. 

"Do you now what we're dealing with?" Hank asked urgently. "I spoke to one of Buffy's teachers, who studies bites, at the high school. He said that he had seen something like the wound on her back. He's going to make some calls and get back to me ASAP about what it might be."

"Well we'll definitely be using that information. Maybe you can even get him down here. I'd like to meet the man who knows how to deal with the thing that caused that." Dr. Griffon nodded hopefully, accepting any further help that was offered at this point. "But as of now, from a medical standpoint, her symptoms and reactions are resembling bacterial meningitis." Joyce and Hank tipped their heads to him and he continued, "Now, I'm not recording that as her primary aliment that is just a possibility that we're working to combat. But," he sifted through some papers and produced yet another report. "The infection unit tested the secretion and her blood and the closest they could find was some sort of mutant strain of a neurotoxin called Oxyuranus s. scutlellatus."

"So we know what it is?" Joyce spoke with a shaky voice. "If we know then you can administer something against that too."

"It's not exactly on point. There were slight variations that make this something entirely different. New. Buffy is a president – under the worst possible circumstances."

"So we're back at square one?!" Hank's disbelief made his voice boom and Dawn flinch further into her mother's arms, even though his back was to the both of them. "What exactly is the point here. You're pumping her full of every drug known to man, and nothing is helping…"

"It's just another avenue we're looking at. The neurotoxin the in its regular form can kill a healthy adult male in fifteen minutes. The fact that Buffy, here, is still fighting…"

"What you're making sound like a losing battle," Hank bit out, arms still crossed. 

"Is still fighting," Dr. Griffon insisted, "Is giving us hope that we can get the antivenin shipped here, hopefully with in the half hour." He saw the questioning looks on both of the parents' faces and swallowed deeply at, yet another confusing piece to the puzzle. "We don't have any on hand, simply because the venom is that of a group of vipers known as Elapids…inherent to Australia."

"Where would Buffy have gotten one of them from?" Dawn squeaked her question to her mother.

"That's my question exactly," the doctor nodded. "And I suggest that no matter the outcome the authorities be alerted as to the possible threat of somebody in the area being in possession of such an animal." Hank nodded tightly and tried to ignore the question of the, so called, 'outcome'. "But," Dr. Griffon took a deep breath and prepared for more tears, "As I spoke to Joyce about, in the worst case scenario…"

"The Last Rites," Hank nodded, his lips pursed, and received a nod in response.

"Precautionary measure in case of the worst," the doctor offered in a low voice. "I brought Father Morton up with me, he's waiting in the hall…uhm…he'd do the reading now, if you'd like."

"No," Joyce spoke quietly. "I don't want anybody to…It's like giving in. I can't do that to Buffy, Henry. I won't." She let go of Dawn and approached Buffy's bedside again, perching herself on the side and grasping her hand. She refused to meet the eyes of the two men in the room and Dawn came to her side, tilting her head and examining her sister laying still under the white sheets and blanket. "We're not even religious."

Hank nodded to her but kept his hard front up. His eyes clenched shut and he turned back to the doctor as he stood unsure of what to do. 

"It can be a non-denominational reading," Dr. Griffon spoke lowly to Buffy's father. "It's simply a recommendation that we make at this point."

What was he supposed to do in this situation? He had cursed that there were no handbooks on how to raise children, no matter how many 'Psychology Today' magazines his wife returned from the supermarket with. What was he supposed to do when you had to give permission for one to leave you?

"Why don't you send him in, if you think that it's best at this juncture." The doctor nodded to him and moved to step back out of the room, waving for the hospital priest to enter the room behind him. "This by no means, means that we're giving up hope."

"Of course not," the doctor nodded. "She can still wake up." 

Hank nodded. "Alright," he extended his hand to the priest. He set his jaw and turned to Joyce and Dawn, "This is Father Morton."

"I said no, Hank!" Joyce faced him with fire in her eyes. "Just no!"

"It's what they do, Honey," Hank kept his voice even, the ping of the machines hooked to his daughter sounding deafening loud in his ears. "They're still going to do everything that they can to help her."

"I don't want…" Joyce choked on her sobs and her breath hitched. "I'm not going to listen to this." She pushed herself up strongly from the bed and stormed out of the room. Hank moved to grab her arm as she passed but Joyce jerked herself away from his grasp, holding her hands up to tell him that she would hear no further discussion on the matter.

"Mommy…" tears broke Dawn's façade as well and she glared briefly at her father before running out after Joyce.

Hank clenched his eyes shut and the muscles in his jaw flexed, but he did not follow his family. He simple raised his gaze and locked it with Buffy. Motionless and pale – slightly hazy gray in the light, and drawing in slow ragged breaths to the delayed ping of the monitors, "Oh, Sweetheart," he pursed his lips to keep the tears back. He walked to the side of the bed and took the seat that Joyce had abandoned, running his hand over her forehead and noting that her skin was clammy cold over searing heat, and brushed her hair back from her face. "I'm not giving up on you," he spoke quietly, even though the clarity wavered. "I…I just want what's best for you…not ever giving up though. Please know that, baby. I…I love you so much Buffy, so please know that."

Father Morton had seen scenes like this countless times and didn't speak until Hank had been quiet for a few moments. "Would you like to be in the room?" his voice was unobtrusive and quiet, but Hank shook his head. 

"I'll wait outside…" he swallowed. "I need to…I just need to be outside." He hated that now, even he, was abandoning Buffy now. Not because of a lack of caring, but because it was too hard to see with his own eyes…hear with his own ears; and he walked numbly to the door at the Father's nod of acceptance.

"Heal, O Redeemer, the infirmities of the sick person; heal her wounds and forgive him her sins. Make all the infirmities of her body and soul disappear." The prayer had started before he could even touch the door knob and Hank turned to watch the priest, his head bowed over Buffy's prone form as he spoke, and he could hardly turn away. 

"And by Thy Mercy, give her full spiritual and corporal health, that re-established by the effect of Your goodness, she can resume the fulfillment of his duties.... Grant that Thy servant, freed 

from sickness and restored to health, may be re-established by Thy Name and given back to Thy Holy Church."

Hank dropped his gaze and pushed the door open as quietly as he could, slipping out into the hall, and leaving his little girl alone. Father Morton paused at the swooshing sound of the door shutting but then set back to work blessing the sick child in front of him, and hoping that it wouldn't, in the end, be necessary.

He pulled out a small vile of oils, "We implore Thee, O Lord, look with kindness on Thy servant, Buffy, who is growing weak as her body fails." Dipped his finger into the oil and smeared a small cross on Buffy's slick forehead before he shut his eyes again in prayer. "Cherish and revive the soul which Thou didst create, so that, purified and made whole by her sufferings, she may find herself restored by Thy healing through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

**

"How could you do that?!" Joyce screamed, standing firm and toe to toe with her husband when he reemerged from Buffy's room. She had been hugging Dawn, but when she locked eyes with Hank her grief channeled into anger and she had snapped.  "How could you let them…"

"I'm doing what's best." Hank tried to keep his voice level, while he noticed Dawn drop her head to her hands and her shoulder shook with tears. "Somebody has to be rational…"

"Is it rational to let them give up on your first born!"

"Nobody is giving up!"

**

"O Lord, Father Almighty,...free Thy servant from sickness. Restore to her health." Father Morton continued his reading despite the muffled shouts leaking into the room from the hallway. He knew the fight that was taking place, but it wasn't his place to interfere. It was his place to assure that no matter if their child survived this experience or not, she would be anointed in the eyes of the Lord. 

"Raise her up by Thy right hand, strengthen her by Thy power, protect her by Thy might, and give her back to Thy Holy Church with all that is needed for her welfare through Christ Our Lord. Amen." He closed his eyes and raised his hand starting at the top of Buffy's head and making a cross over her body, "Pray that this may serve to give renewed strength to God's temple...that all who are anointed with the heavenly remedy of this oil may find it a medicine for body and soul, quick to remove all suffering and to drive away all sickness and infirmity of soul and body."

Father Morton nodded down at the small girl and offered her a small smile that she couldn't see. "Pull through child," he whispered and turned to the door. He stepped back into the hall and her arguing parents stopped and faced him with wide eyes – as if he were going to deliver the worst possible news they would ever receive. "Go in and sit with her," he tired to keep his smile happily sincere, but his sympathy shone through. "If Buffy is meant to pull through, she will be just fine."

~*~*~

"Are we just supposed to trust these guys?" Xander whispered from his hunched position beside Angel. "They said that the Master sent them…why would he do that?"

Angel shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth on this one." 

Xander nodded in agreement and looked out into the expanse of the cavern the three vampires, who had introduced themselves as Martin, Randall and Jeremy, had led them to. They were hidden behind a collection of high rocks and looking the demon that had injured Buffy head on. Jeremy had given Xander a fairly large bottle for the 'cargo' that he had to rush to Buffy, and told him and Angel to be ready to be ready to go in for the kill at the first opening. They all would be fighting today, should the situation call for it, but Angel had made it clear that Xander should stay in the background until it was absolutely necessary for him to make an appearance. 

But now, surveying the odds of their five member team against the eight vampires, including Jesse, already milling around the cave, Xander knew that the absolute was going to come sooner than later. They just had to wait for the signal that Martin had assured would come once all the teams of two were in place.

"Once we're done with this," Angel spoke over his shoulder. "I'm sure we'll find out why the Master is so keen on keeping Buffy around."

"Almost afraid to find out the why and wherefore about that," Xander spoke in the same emotionless tone that Angel always held. 

"Be afraid about this first," Angel offered. "Fearing one thing at a time'll center you." Xander smirked at him, but then was deterred from response when Angel caught sight of the flash of light from their right that was the signal for the attack. "Ready?" he asked suddenly, but didn't wait for a response before he stood and made the short jump, perfectly choreographed from all directions, into the floor of the cave. 

"Yeah," Xander swallowed and jammed the jar into his cargo pocket quickly with one hand while still gripping the dagger that Angel had given him earlier in the other. He pushed himself off of the dirt floor and hopped over the rock he was hiding behind. Buffy had taught him to fight, and now was his time to see just how much he remembered. 

The attack seemed to be a surprise and he saw Angel use that to his advantage as he rushed towards the Vardilus' cage. Xander tried to follow him, but found himself grabbed from behind and flung back to the dirt floor. 

Jesse seethed when the five vampires landed in the middle of his lair, but he couldn't help but notice how right Darla had been. Angel had shown. He pulled himself away from Darla and pushed her from his lap as he stood from his chair. "Get them!" His initial order boomed in the room just as he saw Xander jump from the same location that Angel had come from. Everything had played right into his plan – with the exception of the back up that this former team had come with; but that was only a minimal concern. Jesse turned to his left and spoke into Darla's ear, "Don't let you lover take the demon." He pulled away and his demonic vestige twisted his smile, but he quickly jumped away from her and into the fight. He pushed past one of his guys and through various fights, headed for Xander while he tried to approach the demon's cage and reached out to grab his shoulder hard; flinging the mortal boy to the ground. "Looking for something?"

Xander scramble to his feet and saw Martin punching one of Jesse's men in the face hard, before the other vampire fell to the ground. "Yeah," Xander breathed out hard. "You." His fist shot out and connected solidly with Jesse's face, snapping his head back with the surprise movement. Xander followed it up with a reverse backhand that whipped Jesse's face to the right and spun him to the ground with the force of the blow. Xander looked up briefly and saw Angel grab a vampire by the shoulders and toss him into a jagged stone wall opposite his destination, while he used Jesse's prone position to drop kick him in the ribs. "What?!" his voice was ragged with anger. "You don't want to fight now?!"

Jesse smiled a twisted bloody smirk and turned his face up to his former friend. He saw Xander's concentration waiver and turned to see Darla engaged in an even handed fist fight with Angel in front of the cage, but he was snapped back to reality when the toe of Xander's shoe connected with his ribs again. He knew that had he not been undead already, his ribs would be broken…maybe some were. Jesse rolled away out of the way of another kick. "You really," he caught Xander's ankle and turned it, making the other boy loose his footing and turn crashing into the dirt, "want to spend the night wrestling with me in the dirt…" he crawled over Xander and punched at him, striking him in the side of the head, "while Buffy rots alive?"

Xander kicked out at Jesse's evil grin, his foot on the vampire's hip and sent him stumbling off of him and onto his back. Soon both were staring at each other – Xander breathing hard while Jesse kept grinning.

"So I killed her," Jesse shrugged and made no movement as Xander was tackled from the side by another one of his minions. "Big fucking deal," he laughed while he watched Xander struggle. "She was gonna di…" His own rant was cut off as he was taken down from behind, his arms locked to his side. "And who do you think you are?" he asked his attacker, slamming his head back and hearing his captors nose crunch under the impact.

Angel saw Xander be taken down and turned his attention from Darla, who sneered and punched him hard in the face. His vampire form slipped out from the force of the blow and Angel made no attempt to control it – reveling in the rush of power that came with the transformation. The vampire attacking Xander had him pinned to the ground and Angel called out "Use the dagger!" as he, himself rocked Darla with a hard uppercut that sent the female vampire flying back through the air.

Xander gulped when he heard the muffled advice, his heart was pounding in his ears, and he forced the hand holding the dagger up through, the vampire on top of him, chest. No dice. He panicked and slammed his head up – his forehead connecting solidly with the vampire's eye and sent him tumbling back off of him. 

"Here kid!" the Master's minion, Jeremy, called and tossed Xander a stake.

He caught it in mid air and turned, his previous attacker already charging again and thrusting it hard through his chest. He was hoping he got the heart, this time, when it counted, but knew he did when the dust settled in front of him. Sweet! He congratulated just as he saw Jesse twist the neck of Randall sharply, the loud snap echoing through the cave.

"He's out," the teenaged vampire smirked as he stood and dusted himself off and faced Xander again. "You up to be next?"

"Xander!" Angel called. He saw Buffy's friend facing off with the teenaged demon that he wanted nothing more than to rip apart himself. But they were at the cage now, and down to four men. They had to get the cure for Buffy and they needed it now before things slipped further downhill. "We need that dagger!" Martin had unlatched the cage and the Vardilus was quick to push thought its restraints in a last ditch attempt for freedom, but was pushed back by the two vampires flanking him.

Xander didn't even cut his eyes to give away his movement, but simply ran towards Angel as hard as he could, Jesse right behind him. He stopped short of the demon and reached past Angel and Martin, jamming the dagger into the surprised monster's chest. Xander smirked at Angel's wide eyes, but soon lost sight of his partner as he was grabbed from behind again and tossed through the air. He prepared to hit the ground but instead found his impact broken by the feel of another body behind him.

Angel watched Xander collide with Darla and send them body back to the ground, but was relieved that the boy was quick to his feet again. He pulled the dagger out of the howling Vardilus' chest and wasted no time jamming it into the monster's throat. "The jar Xander!" Martin held the monster still and its struggles ceased when Angel yanked the dagger had to the left until it broke free from  the thick spiny neck.

"No!" Jesse shouted and lunged for Angel, pulling him away from the twitching corpse of the demon. Angel punched the undead child and saw Martin working to finish sawing off the demons head. He front snap kicked Jesse in the stomach and sent him flying across the room before hurrying back to the Vardilus. 

"How do we get the brain out?" he was breathing heavily for no reason and Martin smirked at him. 

"Get the kid over here."

Xander shook his head to clear it and scowled at the familiar female vampire that had broken his fall. "You killed my best friend," his voice was eerily low while he eyed Darla. 

"I helped him," she amended and got slowly to her feet. "He was going nowhere and I saved him."

Xander's jaw twitched and he fell into a fighting stance against the vampire, and she laughed at him. Smiled in his face and laughed.

 "Xander! The jar!"

"Tick tock," Darla sang. "You're time is running out, Alexander. What ever will the hero do? Or…" she trailed off and her fist shot out, aimed at his nose, but he blocked it. "Is Angel the lady's hero?"

"XANDER!!"

The teenager jumped up from his fighting stance, bring is leg up in a jumping front kick that connected squarely with the startled vampire's chin. Darla's head snapped back before she fell to the ground and Xander's smile, all but beamed in the darkness of the cave. "The lady's my hero," he whispered, not caring if Darla was even conscious to hear his response before he rushed back to Angel's…Martin's side. Angel was now busy trying to keep the remainder Jesse's men at bay while they finished their task.

"This is the ugly part, Mortal," Martin sneered at Xander and picked up the decapitated head of the Vardilus over a jagged rock between them. He smirked at the boy's grimace when he slammed the skull down on the rock; the puncture wound now seeping with a bright pink liquid. "The jar," Martin ordered and Xander moved quickly to catch the sometimes chunky outflow. 

"Get that to the Slayer, boy," Martin told him. "Make sure she drinks it all."

Xander nodded and ducked as Angel was thrown over his head and slammed into the metal bars of the cage. "Go Xander," the vampire growled and pushed himself to his feet. "Take the sewers to the surface and run."

Xander hopped to his feet and clutched the jar to his chest as he dodged the various hands grabbing at him while he ran to the mouth of the cave. He didn't glance back as he hopped over rocks and moved with blind determination back into the main sewer system – trying to recall the path that he and Angel had taken to get there. He slipped the jar carefully back into his side pocket when he reached the first ladder to the surface that he saw small slivers of sunlight streaming though. Xander jumped at the ladder and pulled himself up, trying not to focus on the hurried footfalls behind him.

"He's up ahead!" a deep voice called. 

"MOVE!" Jesse's call followed. "DON"T LET HIM OUT!"

The glowing eyes preceded the more shouting while Xander pushed at the man hole cover and tried to balance himself on the ladder. The heavy steel lid creaked up and Xander bit is lip and pushed it away: up into the street. "Later Jess," he breathed and pulled himself up, surveying the sidewalk he was on and the people who stopped their strides to look at him with confusion. "Nice to kick your ass again."

"DAMMIT!" 

The curse followed him into the street while Xander jumped to his feet, trying to offer polite smiles to the pedestrians around him and took off in a sprint down the street.

~*~*~

Xander was heaving but refused to let his fatigue slow him down when he slid through the opening automatic doors of the hospital. His heart was pounding and he pulled the jar out of his pocket, only momentarily breaking his stride down the hall to Buffy's room.

"Xander?" Dawn's voice beside him when he passed didn't fault his stride; and neither did the similar calls from Mr. and Mrs. Summers. 

"Xander?! Wait!" Hank called just before Xander ran into Buffy's room. The consecutive outbursts drawing the attention of several doctors and nurses at the desk just to the right of Buffy's room. 

"Son?" One of them called as he rushed to Buffy's door, just before Xander slammed it shut. "SON!"

"XANDER!" Hank shouted, trying the door knob. "It's locked."

"Get security up here!" one of the doctors called back over his shoulder to the desk. 

"Xander, honey?!" Joyce called, but was interrupted by her husband's more commanding voice. 

"Open the goddamned door, Xander! This isn't a joke!"

Xander was physically shaking as he stepped back from the door; able to see the wood shake under the pounding fists outside. He only hoped that Joyce and Hank would forgive him one day. As long as Buffy lived, it would all be worth it in the end.

"Hey Buff," he spoke quietly. "Told you I'd be back." Xander approached the bed quickly and tilted his head to look down at her. "I don't have a lot of time," he unscrewed the jar. Xander slid his hand under Buffy's head and lifted it slightly. "Don't hate me for this when you find out what this stuff is," he frowned and tilted it to her mouth, nudging it open with the edge of the jar. He tried to tilt Buffy's head forward more and keep the neon pink fluid flowing past her lips, every so often letting her head drop back and making sure that it slid down her throat. "That's it Buff," he encouraged his unconscious friend. "You gotta drink the whole thing…"

Another loud thud followed by the scraping metal sound of the door unlocking and he poured faster. "C'mon Buff…c'mon…" Xander shifted nervously, but couldn't fight it when his frightened frown turned up into a hopeful smile. Buffy's previously relaxed features scrunching slightly and he felt her pushing back against his hand – trying to escape the trap of his hand holding her to the foul liquid in the jar. Buffy grunted when the jar was empty and Xander tried to set her head down softly, smiling at her frown, as the door burst open. 

"Get him out of here!" a deep male voice shouted and Xander was grabbed from behind with two pairs of arms.

"Buffy!" he called back into the room, hoping against hope that she would move before he was dragged out. "Buffy, wake up….please! Buffy!" his feet dragged backwards into the hall and he briefly saw the frightened look on Dawn's face, matched with the angry glare on Hank's as Buffy's father pushed his way into the room. "I didn't hurt her," he pleaded with Joyce, who was standing at Dawn's side. "I didn't…I love her…" his voice rose to a shout before he was pulled around the corner and into a side office, the door slamming closed behind him.

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing son?!" a loud voice drew his attention away from the door that was separating him from seeing if Buffy was alright. A door that was flung open before he could answer the angry question posed to him.

"She's waking up!" an excited young male nurse exclaimed in the office. "That girl with the snake bite is moving!"

Xander shot out of the chair that he had been forced into and pushed himself past the man in the doorway. He was running again as if his legs weren't numb from his initial sprint. Xander turned the corner and pushed roughly past the droves of onlookers still milling in the hallway. "MOVE!" he ordered and stumbled into the room. He stopped dead under Hank's glare, but shook off his wave of fear and fixed his eyes on Buffy as he walked cautiously to the bed. He could feel Dawn and Joyce's eyes on him as well, while nobody spoke to him…he didn't care. He wasn't there for them. 

Xander's mouth cracked into a grin when he saw Buffy's frown increase and her eyes fluttered slightly against the light.

"…breakfast…" Buffy's gruff and groggy voice broke through the room and Joyce's unbridled laughter followed. Her eyes squinted against the light and tried to focus on the shapes surrounding her. "Xan…" she called for the first thing that she remembered from the night that…when was that, anyway? "Xander?"

His eyes were watering again and he leant over the head of the bed, not caring about the fact that her whole family was watching the scene in awe. "Buffy…"

Her eyes slit dazedly. And she saw his watery smile mere inches from her face. Buffy's arms hurt and her hands tingled. She couldn't remember how she got where she was, or even falling asleep, but now she saw the last face she remembered seeing. Her best friend's worried eyes shinning down on her and she ignored the pain, bringing her hands up and cupping them over his cheeks. Xander leant into her grasp and let her pull him down. And she kissed him. One lingering kiss that Xander melted into with a grateful teary smile, and he vowed not to let her go. 

One statement broke through his haze and an uttered whisper against his lips, through a dry scraping of hers. "I love you, Xander."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 2d


	9. Up Over Everything 3a

Title: Up Over Everything (3a/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what else has been going on? Who's dating who? Who's hooked on drugs? Who got expelled?" Buffy asked excitedly and bounced slightly in her seat on the bed. She had been released from the hospital two days ago and her parents had both insisted that she stay home a few days to rest. Not even Giles had expected her to patrol. Who was she to turn that down?

Willow bit her bottom lip and thought about the series of questions. "Well Jonathan Levinstien fell in the caf yesterday. He spilt his food all over Preston Curtis."

The Slayer watched her friend expectedly and waited for her to continue, but the redhead seemed done with the tale. "And?"

Willow looked slightly disappointed. "And…Cordelia laughed…well, not really a laugh so much as ignored the whole situation completely. But I think that if she were to have cared she would have found it very humorous."

Buffy smiled to match Willow's hopeful expression. "Ted Casablanca, you are not." Her friend shrugged and pulled her other leg onto the bed so that they were sitting cross-legged in front of each other.

"I'm not too much on the in crowd. I probably missed some things." Willow sounded slightly disappointed and Buffy jumped to quell any lingering feelings about not fitting in. All the good Willow felling that way got them last time was a possessed horny Xander.

"Well, its gotta be better than here." Buffy insisted. "Mom took time off work and makes me spend all day watching Lifetime. It's bonding in the worst form."

"And that's better than bio with French?" Willow quirked her brow and Buffy dropped her gaze. "Thought so. And plus, you got the TV in your room"

Buffy beamed, "Yeah, but the best part of that is that it pisses Dawn off."

"Makes almost being killed worth it, huh?"

"Definitely," Buffy agreed brightly, but then her expression melted into one of curiosity. "So, there's no big news on the school front…"

She trailed off and Willow nodded her agreement. "Oh!" she shouted suddenly, cutting off whatever Buffy seemed ready to say next. "That guy Oz, the one that Xander knows from the Dingoes…"

"Yeah. Oz." Buffy smiled crookedly at her friend's enthusiasm. "Who you're in luuuvvv with."

Willow blushed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not in luuuvvvv with anybody," she negated, rolling her eyes, "Unlike some people in this room." She smiled privately when Buffy frowned and stopped smiling. "But," she continued before the blonde could change the subject to the object of her affections, "he came into the library after Xander left to get the brai…cure," she caught herself, but saw Buffy's confusion at the slip. "He waited in there until we heard that you were ok…that was like all afternoon." She saw Buffy smile at her. "He was so cute, Buffy. He said that Xander told him that you had passed out and was all wondering if you were alright…"

"Again, another positive side affect of my near death experience." Buffy offered courteously. 

"Well if it helps me get dates I'm all for you getting stabbed with poison thingies." Willow said, but let her tone convey the joke. She saw Buffy's eyes widen at the implied meaning of her statement.

"Waitwaitwait. Get dates? You got dates…with Oz?! You got dates with Oz?! I haven't even seen him react to anything – ever, and I've known him for, like, two years…"

"Just one date," Willow blushed. "And only after your dad dropped Xander off and we found out that you were alright. I think your survival had a lot to do with the date too, for future reference."

"Duly noted," Buffy was grinning from ear to ear. 

"Ohohoh!" Willow sat up and slapped her hands on Buffy's knees. "We can double! Me and Oz…you and Xander! It'll be sooooo much fun…" She saw Buffy's gaze drop to the bead spread and her smile die. "Or not. I mean, if you don't want to…"

"No," Buffy shook her head. "It's just…I dunno. Dad drove Xan back to school and I know that was not of the good."

"You haven't talked to him since you've been home?" Willow questioned. "He didn't seem that bad when he got back to the library…sort of blissfully relieved and shaky."

"Really?" Buffy looked hopeful. "He called last night, but he didn't say much. I had no idea how to read him after that. It totally had to be the trauma or the fever breaking or something…"

Willow's brow furrowed while Buffy rambled through her train of thought. "It what?" she questioned and Buffy stopped talking and just looked at her.

"He didn't say anything?" she asked slowly and Willow shook her head.

"It was kinda hectic that afternoon," Willow confessed, but didn't elaborate. She and Giles decided that it was for the best to keep the fact that they had yet to hear from Angel after the mission under raps for the time being. Giles thought that it couldn't possibly help Buffy's condition and healing if she were up worrying about what might have happened to her vampire helper. And Willow had pointed out that it was better to not find out how Buffy would react as to not add Xander's feelings into the mix. Willow knew that any anxiousness that Buffy showed would likely upset Xander and therefore just make the situation more awkward than it already was, not that the blonde would react much at all. According to Buffy, Angel was the Webster's definition of flakey – he was probably fine and in some sort of hiding until the next crisis needed averting. But there was no need to tempt fate.  "What happened?"

Buffy blushed and looked at the bed again. "When I woke up…I kinda…I told him…ItoldhimthatIlovedhim," Buffy said quickly and not meeting her friend's eyes. "It just came out…and…Mom and Dad and Dawn they were all sitting right there and I couldn't take it back…" Willow was watching her with wide eyes while she tried to justify herself. "Not that I want to take it back, I just…I don't know." Buffy sighed and dropped back to lean against the headboard of her bed, "And then they took me away for more tests and stuff and when I got back Mom said that Dad had taken Xan back to school."

"Well," Willow was still in a slight state of shock, but trying to offer a tiny smile. "That doesn't mean that its bad…"

"Wills, you didn't see him when he got back," Buffy insisted. "If they hadn't given me that sedative to calm me down," she glossed over that fact and ignored Willow's shock. "I would've gone outside and started looking for fresh shallow graves."

"I honestly don't think Xander even noticed," Willow smiled more confidently. "He was almost giddy…"

"Giddy?" the Slayer raised one eyebrow.

"No," Willow denied immediately at Buffy's almost hurt tone. "Not giddy. You weren't there," she tried. "But not at all sad or…or scared or anything."

Buffy's slight half smile fell again, "But then when I talked to him again yesterday he didn't say anything about it. He was all quiet, and it's Xander," she argued. "He's never quiet…AND why hasn't he come over here?" She started talking before Willow could answer. "I'll tell you why. Daddy threatened him."

"Oh come on, Buff," Willow shook her head. 

"He didn't even say it back," Buffy said with conviction. "I think I just have to not say it again and hope he didn't hear."

"I know that…" She was cut off by the sound of Buffy's phone ringing. "See," she smiled, "That's probably him." She almost couldn't fight the laugh while Buffy shut her eyes and took a few deep breaths before reaching over and scooping up the cordless phone on her night table.

"Hello?" 

Willow snorted with effort while trying to control her laughter at Buffy's higher girlier voice, but the Slayer scowled at her and slapped her on the leg all while smiling into the receiver.

"Hey Xan," her grin was unadulterated. "Are you home yet?"

((Yep)) Xander returned a grin that she couldn't see. ((I went to practice today and everything, while you, on the other hand, are probably still in your pajamas.))

Buffy pouted, "I've got doctors orders."

((Your Slayer healing deal had you at 100 percent like twenty minutes after you woke up. Now you're just milking it, ya big faker.))

"Next time you get stabbed in the heart by the 500 pound hell beast, then." Buffy countered confidently. "I'll see if you show up in homeroom."

"It stabbed you in the shoulder," Willow commented after waiting a moment and Buffy glared at her. The redhead was just able to make out Xander's laughter over through the receiver, and Buffy glared at her even harder and slapped her on the knee.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" she reminded in a harsh whisper.

"But still you had a very bad reaction," Willow said again, loud enough for Xander to hear, also. "Very fatal battle wound."

"See?" Buffy smiled into the phone. "Fatal battle wound. A wound received protecting you, so I'll thank you not to belittle my duty."

((You're cute when you're being self-righteous)) 

Buffy could hear Xander grinning into the receiver and caught her own sappy grin when she noticed Willow staring at her. "I thought I was always cute," she challenged him, but Xander was never one to be short of a comeback.

((No)) Xander denied. ((I said that I wish you were mute))

"You know what Xander," Buffy said eerily lightly. "I'm feeling a lot better. In fact, better enough to kick your…"

((I've been told that my presence is requested at your place tonight)) Xander interrupted Buffy's threat with a definite serious tone disguised by his levity. He could tell by Buffy's sudden intake of breath and the fact that he could hear Willow asking what was the matter, that the Slayer had no prior knowledge of it. ((Dad's been giving me the stink eye all week.)) She was still silent so he kept speaking out of need to break it. ((Your mom called and explained the whole situation…about the hospital…)) He trailed off. Buffy had only said *it* the once, and he knew it was true, it was just…it was soon, and the first time, in the more than friends manner, had been in front of her parents and about 30 hospital workers. And then, to top it off, right after she had said…*that*…she had kissed him.

Joyce and Hank, apparently didn't appreciate that at all. And as soon as the inevitable happened and Xander was able to escape the wrath of Buffy's parents, they had called his house and told his parents. He had never seen his mom look so disappointed. He would have thought that they called and told her that he was kicking puppies for fun…but his father. Needless to say, that the nicest and most encouraging comment about his new relationship with his best friend that Tony had to offer was a round-about threat that he would be out in the street if anybody tried to bring a baby into his home. That had prompted some serious denial and Buffy avoidance on Xander's part, until he realized that he had nobody to talk to.

Sure there was Willow, but he wanted his Buffy. Even if she did…love…have love for…him. They were friends. They were more. He loved her, too because it would be impossible not to.

"So it's family meeting time tonight?" Buffy said meekly and watched Willow's eyes go sympathetically wide before her. "Good times."

((Oh, for sure.)) Xander sounded skeptical, weary, and more than a little anxious. ((I foresee ass kickings, and not from the Slayer, in my future.))

"My dad's not home," Buffy said distractedly. Her eyes were pleading with Willow's for a reprieve that she knew deep down nobody could give her. Her mom had been nothing but nurturing all week. Making sure she was 100% better and never mentioning she awakening. But now, it seemed, that it may have been out of sight, but it was in no way out of mind. "I didn't…when I woke up I just…" she was stuttering and glancing at Willow, hinting silently that it would probably be easier to talk to him alone. Now that she was fully conscious grand declarations of eternal love and undying passion didn't seem so keen. 

Willow nodded and scooped up her backpack after only a moment. "I'll call you," she sympathized for her friend. "Tell me how 'the meeting' goes." The Slayer nodded. "BYE XAN," Willow called out for him to hear. She giggled when after a moment she heard a loud shout in response and Buffy frowned and yanked the phone away from her ear suddenly. "G'luck," she whispered with a hopeful grin as she let herself out to the sound of Buffy yelling at Xander about her sensitive hearing. 

((It's ok, Buff)) Xander said over the quiet click of Buffy's bedroom door on the other end of the phone. ((I…it's…))

Buffy relaxed and lay back against her pillows, shutting her eyes and trying to keep her heart from beating so fast. "I just saw you…the last thing I really remembered was watching your back…"

((Through my window?)) Xander asked to alleviate some of the tension.

"…running down the street," Buffy completed her previous statement dryly. "I'm just sorry, Xander," she added quietly. 

((Why?)) He sounded genuinely surprised. ((I'm not…)) she paused…didn't even breathe and Xander gulped and hurried to continue. ((I haven't seen you all week. I'm glad you told me you loved me…gives me an excuse to come over and say 'what's up'.))

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. He always tried to be so funny. As if having a serious conversation would mark the end of his existence.

((Plus)) Xander added after a moment of listening to her breath quietly. He never thought that he would be so glad to hear such an ordinary sound, yet now, he found himself reluctant to even interrupt it. ((I love you too, you know.))

He spoke so quickly that Buffy barely caught what he had said. What he hadn't said when she declared the feeling for him in its most complete meaning. Barely heard him…yet, she did. 

((I'll see you tonight, kay Buffy)) He said just as soon as she collected herself enough to respond with out making some sort of high pitched vowel sound. 

She only managed a 'mmmhmmm' sound and heard him say it again. Slower this time and more deliberate. 

((Love you))

"You too," she whispered, holding the phone to her ear with both hands. She needed something solid to hold onto so that she wouldn't float away. Not the Slayer…the teenaged girl who was saying these things for the first time ever. Was feeling these things in real life and being overtaken by them. The first boy she had told that she loved, to his face and meant it seriously, and it was her best friend. She had never felt what Xander made her feel…and it made her shaky and nervous and a billion other things that made her stomach drop to somewhere down by her knees, but then flutter its way back up into place. "Bye." Buffy knew that her smile sounded as inane and frivolous as it looked, but she couldn't help it. She didn't care if he could hear it beaming through the receiver because she could hear his too.__

((Bye)) Xander whispered before she heard a softer than usual click that signaled his hanging up the phone.

Buffy couldn't help the giggle that bubbled out of her when she lay the phone down by her side. She didn't care what her parents saw or thought of her relationship with Xander. She was in love…he was in love…with her. Xander loved her. She knew that before, but she was just hearing it in the past. Friend's loved friends. Now…now it was living and breathing and all hers, given only by him. Buffy was smiling from ear to ear and completely relaxed. As the Slayer she fought countless battles every night and she had won. Now, as an all American red-blooded teenager, she would have to take the fortitude of her alter ego and go to battle in her own home. Against parents.

But Buffy wasn't the least bit afraid.

~*~

Summer's House

6:30 PM

~*~

"I honestly expected this, but was hoping that you two would have more sense," Joyce was seated on the coffee table and was making a point to glance back and forth between her daughter and her young friend. 

"Hormones are the great equalizer," Jane Harris spoke up from her seat on the  couch next to her son. 

"Make you go stupid," Tony muttered while continuing to glare at Xander, and his wife sent him a panged look.

Buffy studied her hands folded in her lap and her mother's feet. When Xander and his parents had arrived she had made it a point to not smile or speak to him excessively. One of the reasons for that had been that both her mother and his were studiously watching them and it had been rather uncomfortable. They had been escorted into the living room, separated at all times by at least one mother, and instructed to sit. When they got the bright idea to share the couch for this ordeal Joyce had, oh so subtly, yanked her by the arm and sat her in the recliner to the right of the couch. 

Xander's parents sat flanking him on either side while Joyce facilitated this thing as rationally as an irrational over-reactive parent could. Now they were 15 minutes into the "talk", or lecture, and Xander and Buffy had yet to even make eye contact. 

"Is this 'thing' worth your friendship, Buffy," Joyce asked and grabbed Buffy's hand. That got Xander's attention and when he looked up to hear Buffy's answer he saw her staring pleadingly at her mother. 

"Mom," she tried. "This seriously isn't this big a deal." The Slayer gave a slight grin that faltered almost immediately. "I mean, I've had a boyfriend before and it was never the end of…"

"Oh my God!" Jane exasperated and shook her head. "A boyfriend?!"

"Ma," Xander sighed and gave her a sideways glance. "Yeah." He looked between his parents, "Me and Buffy…we're…dating," he admitted in a nonchalant tone, "Or trying to, or whatever. It's not a big deal…"

"You two have sleepovers for Christ's sake!" his mother said disbelievingly. "I let you spend the night over here and…oh dear Lord! How long has this," she gestured between the two teens, "been going on?!"

Joyce looked at Buffy expectantly and the Slayer averted her eyes again. "A couple of months," she admitted quietly.

"Is this why you and Scott broke up?" her mother asked, but had her question overshadowed by a shocked sounding Jane.

"A COUPLE OF MONTHS?!" she shouted, "That couple of months wouldn't include the time I found Buffy waking up in your room would it?!"

Buffy looked up wide eyed and then tried to shake her head when she found her mother's gaze boring into her heatedly. "That's not what you think," she said quickly. "We're friend's mom. You let me sleep at Xander's and Xander sleep here…"

"Well you two had better believe that that stops here and now," Tony was sitting up in his seat and sending stony glares to both Buffy and Xander. 

"I thought you guys were 'expecting this'?" Buffy repeated her mother's previous statement while trying not to sound to insolent.

Tony glared her silent and the Slayer turned her eyes back to her hands. "I can't believe you two were acting so irresponsibly right under our noses. Not only is it disrespectful but…" he stated incredulously.

"It's stupid," Joyce interrupted and stood. She stalked angrily across the room and frowned at her meek looking little girl. "Every teenager gets curious about the opposite sex…" Joyce let out a harsh breath, "But do you have any idea of the…" she stopped when she heard a muffled giggle and gulp from upstairs and turned her glare to face it. "GO TO YOUR ROOM DAWN. NOW!" The sound of footsteps thumping quickly down the hall preceded a door clicking, as quietly as possible, shut. 

Joyce turned to face Buffy again and found her glaring angrily at the stairwell, but started speaking again, refocusing her on the real situation. "Are you and Xander…"

"Sexually…involved…" Jane completed unsurely and with a hint of dread when she realized that Joyce didn't want to even finish the thought. Both of the teens looked up wide-eyed and red, seemingly too shocked to react. 

"You had better say 'no', boy," Tony's voice held a hint of threat.

"NO!" Buffy answered instead. "Mom…noooo. Way no. Eww no."

"Eww?" Xander asked and sounded slightly offended, and Buffy sent him a wide eyed plea to stop talking. "Right," he nodded tightly when he felt his parents and Buffy's mom glaring at him. "Eww. Ick..gross, bllaahh."

Joyce scowled at the boy but did manage to visibly relax some and shut her eyes to collect herself. "Buffy," she reproached her daughter and reclaimed her seat on the table across form her. "I…I can't tell you what to do…"

"The hell you can't. Alex, this stops…"

"Tony!" Jane cut him off with a commanding look. "She's right, we can't tell you two not to…date…"

"But I'm begging you to consider one thing Buffy," Joyce continued. She tilted her head to catch Buffy's eyes and when the Slayer refused to meet her halfway she reached out and touched her chin lightly to force her compliance. "Think about how this could affect yours and Xander's friendship. Just think about what it would be like if, God forbid, it didn't work out between you…"

"Your hormones are all over the place, and sometimes high school sweethearts work out," Jane was speaking softly and as comfortingly as Joyce, "…but sometimes they don't. We would all hate to see you two not be friends for the want of somebody to neck with."

"Neck?" Xander frowned at his mom and knit his brows together.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "We're not going to break up," she stated confidently and her mother looked at her incredulously. "And even if we did," the Slayer continued with less confidence, "we'd still be best friends." Buffy did look to Xander after she made that statement and he nodded vigorously at her, sending her a small reassuring and calmingly crooked grin. 

"And you've talked this through and worked all of this out?" Tony exasperated bitterly and Xander's grin fell with a shudder at the harsh tone.

"No, dad," Xander tried to say calmly. "We didn't. We just know." He looked at his mother. "'Necking' isn't going to change the fact that Buffy's my best friend and always will be. I just…I…there's more now," he took a deep breath and glanced at Buffy before focusing on the edge of the table that Joyce was sitting on. If Buffy could announce her feelings in front of everybody, regardless of consequences, then by God, he could too. "I love her, now."

He looked up after he said that and found Buffy smiling softly at him…until Joyce leant forward and blocked his view of her. "You two don't even know what love is!"

"Part of growing up is learning it though, Mrs. Summers," Xander defied as lightly as possible. "If we, supposedly, don't know…we're going to learn," he gulped and darted his eyes around the room. "Together."

"This is ridiculous," Tony breathed. "If they want to do this then I say we let them. And when this blows up in their faces, because it will," he said confidently and directly to his son, "I say we let them cry it out until they can't anymore." He sat back on the couch and folded his arms across his chest. "And both of them will be crying," he muttered.

Xander rolled his eyes and looked at the floor. "Then just let us cry then," he mumbled under his breath.

"Fine," Joyce sighed and clapped her hands together. She stood up again and asked silently for support from Jane as she stood up and moved to the front of the coffee table. "If we can't tell you not to date and you won't listen to the reasoning…won't let us spare you the pain…" She took a deep breath and spoke with resolve, "The we *can* set some new ground rules for you two."

"Yes," Jane stood up and moved to Joyce's side. 

"Because, God knows, that the sleepovers were getting a little old," Tony incensed tiredly while pinching the bride of his nose. Both Buffy and Xander looked away shyly when their mothers nodded in agreement. 

"So that points settled," Jane said. "No matter what: studying, movie nights…anything. You are both to go to your own homes at the end of the night."

"And you both are forbidden to be in the others room without parental supervision," Joyce said.

"So you guys want to sit in the chair in the corner if we have a test to study for?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

"No," her mother looked directly into her eyes and matcher her flippant tone. "We want to be in the house if you guys are there together."

"And no shutting doors," Jane threw in.

"Ever," Tony added from beside Xander.

Buffy rolled her eyes this time. "So when's my chastity belt get here?"

"If you want to test me, Buffy…" Joyce watched with satisfaction as Buffy pouted and looked down at her hands again. "This is a big deal because we all know you two are already close."

"And we don't want you any closer," Tony added gravely and with a hint of warning in his voice. "I'm sure Hank would feel the same way, and that we'd both kick your…"

"Tony," Jane warned again and Xander's father stopped talking, but finished his intended statement with a stern glare. "If you two want to change, then things need to change," she said to the teens calmly…

~*~

"Good old fashioned change, huh?" Xander muttered and kicked some pebbles out of his way. He leant back against Joyce's Jeep and glanced back up to Buffy's house and saw the lights still on in the living room and shadows moving around inside. "Gotta love that," he said dryly and managed a wane grin at Buffy, who was staring reflectively at the ground between them.

She looked up shyly, her arms crossed over his chest, "In there I got the impression that it was worth it though."

Xander nodded, but his smile looked indignant. "Yeah. Totally worth having to not have you as my friend anymore. Really worth it."

Buffy gulped and looked down again. "I'm still your friend first, she corrected quietly. "Even if they won't acknowledge it, we're still going to be friends."

"I think that's a little difficult to pull what with us not being allowed to be in the same room together anymore…"

Buffy laughed slightly and uncrossed her arms. She took a cautious step forward and looked back to her house before reaching out and grabbing Xander's arm, pulling his hand free from his pants pocket and grasping it in her own. She smiled even brighter when she saw him glance at their joined hands and then raise his eyes to hers. "I was really surprised they let us come outside alone," she spoke reflectively. "You might try to jump me and knock me up in the driveway."

Xander laughed and tugged Buffy until she was standing flush against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hmmm, just the Slayer. I think I'd need your consent for that." He took an unsteady breath and tried to laugh, "Last time I tried you tried to bash my skull in."

Buffy pouted warmly, trying to alleviate some of Xander's tension. It already spoke volumes that he was trying to joke about what had happened. It meant that he was trying to put it behind him like she had done. "If you'll kindly remember what you tried to touch, I think you'll agree that you were begging for that concussion."

"That's the attitude you give after I risk my life fighting a demon to save your life?" Xander pretended to look away hurt and sniffled for effect.

"I thought Angel helped…"

"He was there. He's always there, but he was expendable." Xander shrugged indifferently. He looked down and saw Buffy watching him and he hoped that she wouldn't press the Angel thing any further. The vampire had made himself scarce lately and. After the whole incident none of them had heard from him.

"Well the I guess you're my hero."

"You better believe it," Xander said proudly and puffed his chest out against Buffy. "And luckily it's been pretty quiet recently, while you were playing hooky…" Buffy stomped on his foot indigently and he was quick to retract his previous statement. "Recuperating."

"Better," Buffy smiled up at him slyly. "Angel's probably working double time to keep it that way." Xander just nodded, but Buffy slipped her arms up through his and wrapped them around his neck. She rose up on her tippy toes and pressed a chaste his to Xander's lips and he grinned. "I liked it," she whispered while dropping back to stand normally against him. "Not slaying and no demons…"

"Except for the demon that did this to you," Xander added reminiscently. 

"Yeah, except for that one." Buffy nodded. "But I like this feeling like this again. Feeling normal…"

"You are normal," Xander countered immediately and with a heady conviction. Buffy looked up at him skeptically, but was halted by Xander kissing her. He pulled back with a quirky grin," Weird things just chase you around now."

"Weird things have been chasing me around for years," Buffy gave him a half smile. "I've known you, what? Fifteen years…"

"I resent that remark," Xander frowned, "Or possibly thank you."

"Don't know if I offended you or not?" she asked mock condescendingly.

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "I don't think like the insinuation that I 'follow' you."

"So weird, you're ok with?"

"I figure that its my thing." Xander shrugged. "You slay, I…"

"Weird?" Buffy quirked an eyebrow.

"Something like that," he grinned and hugged her a little tighter for a moment. "We all have our things," Xander insisted. "We just  gotta accept that its who we are." He saw Buffy about to respond and quickly added, "And that people'll love us no matter what deadly quirks we have." Xander beamed brightly, "And by the way, I only recognize your quirk as deadly."

"Thank you," Buffy said dryly.

"And by people loving you, I meant me."

"Good save."

"I thought so." Xander leant down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "See, I'm getting the hang of this boyfriend thing."

Buffy grinned up at him impishly and pulled his face down to hers. She kissed him tentatively until she felt him respond  and she removed her hand from his chin to grasp his shoulder, kissing deeply and in their own world…

"GET IN THE CAR BOY!" Tony's voice boomed into the dark night and Xander pulled away and shoved Buffy back quickly while clearing his throat.

"Come inside, Buffy." Joyce beckoned and the Slayer nodded sheepishly. 

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Xander tried to ask normally, as if the parents weren't all staring at them.

"Yep," Buffy tried chipperly. "In school and everything."

"Yay for school," Xander smiled, but then it fell when he realized what he had said. "Bye."

"Yeah." Buffy was already heading up to her front door quickly while Xander turned on a heel and beat a hasty retreat to his father's car. "Oh!" Buffy whirled around and Xander stopped , his hand on the door handle. "Um…call when you get in?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded in understanding. "As soon as."

The Slayer smiled, "Night."

"G'night Buff." Xander smiled at her and she nodded again, understanding what he didn't feel was right to say again at that moment, but accepting it all the same.

"Inside Buffy," Joyce's shrill call bulldozed the moment. "Now." 

Buffy would patrol now, willingly, if it would get her out of it. The Slayer cringed and shuffled back through her front door, shutting it behind her and wishing that she was still outside. 

~*~

"You did good, man,' Whistler clapped Angel on the shoulder. "You saved her. She'll go down in history as one of the few who survived a Vardilus…and aren't brain dead or anything." The balance demon beamed, "And that because of you."

"Right," Angel said dryly and peered through the gap in the gauzy living room curtain of the Summers house. He could see Buffy sitting on the couch now, Joyce pacing in front of her and gesturing wildly with he arms. "I save her so she and the boy can place kissy face. That's worth it."

Whistler rolled his eyes. "You saved her because you love her, Angel. I don't like it, but there it is." The vampire looked at the ground, "Now what she does she'll have to deal with, but its right noble of you to help anyway, ya'know?"

Angel nodded. "Now all I have to do is be on the look out for that little prick's men…"

"Most of Xander's friends are of the female persuasion, man," the demon followed Angel's line of vision with narrowed eyes. He could just faintly make out Joyce's muffled voice from their position in the yard and he didn't notice the souled vampire's glare. "Man, Mommy Dearest is laying into her. Some get well soon…"

"I meant Jesse," Angel bit out and turned away from the house. "He's a slippery little rat," he said over his shoulder as a message for his companion to follow. "He ran after Xander and never came back."

"Why would he come back if he knew you were waiting to kick his ass?" The other demon asked skeptically. 

"He doesn't want to fight because he knows he'll lose."

"That is why people usually run," Whistler deadpanned. 

"And that's why I find them." Angel growled slightly, "And kill them."

"Never look for me, man." 

"This is serious," Angel turned but kept walking ahead. "He's out to get her…"

"I've got news for you Angel," Whistler matched his tone. "She's the Slayer. Lots of things that go bump in the night are out to get her here. Not just some sociopath little green vampire. There's demons and orders and sects whose sole purpose is to see that little girl in the ground." The vampire watched his measure steps and Whistler sighed. "If you're going to save her you've got to widen your scope. Take off the blinders. There's more than Jesse…and there's more than her boyfriend."

"Yeah," Angel looked at him sideways. "I know the Master's up to something. Sent his men to help…why?"

Whistler rolled his eyes, "I'm sure you'll be on the case until you find out, and then go rushing in head long and fancy free to save the day."

"It's what I do," Angel said quietly. 

"What you do for her," the balance demon said out loud, but not necessarily to his walking partner. "So, where are we headed now?" he changed the subject. "I'm not paying for the cheer-you-up meal this time. You know that for someone who can't taste you eat like a friggin horse…"

Angel's impression of a smile close resembled a closed lipped facial twitch. "There're things after him now too," he said austerely. "We're going to make sure Xander gets in safe."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 3a


	10. Up Over Everything 3b

Title: Up Over Everything (3b/?)

Author: Brooke 

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com 

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show. 

Summary: Part 2 in my "Romeverse". Can the Buffy, Xander and Willow put personal issues aside to fight and survive against a growing evil – one that can strike too close to home?

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure. 

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunnydale High School

~*~

"Welcome back."

Cordelia's shrill and sarcastic greeting was the first thing that Buffy heard the next morning when she walked into the hallowed halls of Sunnydale High. Oh how she had missed this.

"Thank you?" the blonde responded unsurely and kept her pace towards her locker. She was overly aware that the taller cheerleader was following her, and she glanced over at her. Buffy wondered if Cordelia was going to speak, or just follow her until she found Xander. She reached her locker in silence and, with an uneasy grin, put in her combination. Xander would be done with his morning practice in a few minutes and…

"You're off the team." Cordelia said apropos nothing. "Have a good day though," she smiled brightly and turned on her heel, heading away.

"What?!" Buffy's surprised shout halted the other girl, and when Cordelia turned to face her she was still smiling condescendingly. "What do you mean that I'm off the team?"

"Having a blonde moment, cuz that really was English," the other girl smirked. "Look," Cordelia continued and watched Buffy's rebuttal die on her tongue. After all, she was Cordelia Chase. This was her school, and whatever Buffy – second alternate who got lucky, Buffy – had to say was moot before it was even thought of. "You haven't been at practices…"

"I was in the hospital." Buffy countered not believing what she was being told. Her last bastion of normalcy…

"And before that?" the head cheerleader folded her arms across her chest. "Buffy, you were late everyday, and when you weren't you were screwing up." She watched the blonde drop her gaze to the tiled floor momentarily. "Plus, it's not like you were the best we had anyway. After second worst comes third…you might be around fifth now, bruise-o girl."

Buffy's arms folded over her chest and she couldn't look at the taller girl. She couldn't help the fact that she had minor physical abrasions because she had to fight the forces of darkness…to save people like Cordelia night in and night out. Buffy knew for a fact that if a normal person would have gone through what she had recently they would be dead. And now she was being penalized for it. "Cordy…I…I can work harder or something. I can…"

"Try out next year." The brunette settled with a slight shrug. "Aphrodisia is just…"

"Aphrodisia?!" Buffy sounded more incensed than hurt, but that was hardly the case. "You're replacing me with Aphrodisia? Cordelia…she can't even do a cartwheel. Remember sixth grade?"

The brunette's sympathic look was half hearted. "Remember when you became unreliable and started having fights in clubs?" Buffy averted her eyes again. "Because you should remember, like, last week. Plus, you and the new girl…you've got this whole new book bonding thing you're doing, and good for you. Embrace your inner loser and everything."

Cordelia's voice hummed into a drone and all Buffy could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears. It was anger and hurt…she looked up and glanced at the girl who was still talking at her. No, Buffy corrected herself, this was rage. This was exactly what Cordelia had been waiting for and there was nothing Buffy could do about it.

"Glad your alive and everything though," she let her hand rest awkwardly on Buffy's shoulder but withdrew it just as quickly. "I know I'd need serious therapy if somebody who I actually knew had died… I might not be able to matriculate here. It would be bad." She didn't receive a response and took a step back. "Well…later."

Buffy watched her go and slammed her locker shut when Cordelia turned the corner.

"Buff?"

The sound of Xander's voice behind her made the Slayer jump and whirl around to face him. She saw the smile Willow was wearing die and Xander's worried expression as he covered the last few steps to reach her. She could feel her face starting to flush and her eyes sting and she willed herself not to cry. She knew that she had faced much worse than being cut from the squad, but for some reason the way her friends were looking at her wasn't helping her control her emotions.

"What's the matter, Buffy?" Willow reiterated Xander's earlier sentiment while he abandoned her post, joking by her side as they had headed towards the library and actually in the process of looking for Buffy, to grip both of the blonde's shoulders in his hands. He held her at arms length for a moment, but before Buffy got out more than a sniffle he had pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly. Willow shifted awkwardly when Buffy turned to rest her cheek against Xander's chest and slipped her arms around his waist while he rocked slightly.

"Aphrodisia Gaison." Buffy mumbled and swallowed the lump in her throat in an attempt to control her emotion.

"That bitch," Xander left Buffy pull away from him and slit his eyes. "Where'd she go? Willow'll kick her ass."

That made Buffy laugh slightly and Xander smiled in return. Willow, on the other hand, looked semi- scared. "B…but Buffy's…she's the strong one. She can…"

Buffy sent her a half hearted grin. "Not her, specifically," she elaborated and took a deep breath. "Cordelia specifically." She started to walk again and was flanked by her group. She glanced over her shoulder to Willow while she spoke and was only partially aware of Xander subtly taking her hand loosely in his own while not breaking their stride. Her brow furrowed only briefly as she adjusted to the gesture, but she made no move to break the contact. 

"Like I said," Xander nodded confidently. "Willow'll…"

Buffy rocked into his side, silencing his mock threat when she saw the redhead's eyes go even wider than before. "She…I…Aphrodisia…"

"Xander?" he filled in, taunting her inability to get the thought out. His joke wasn't well received and when both of the girls turned to glare at him he cleared his throat nervously and averted his eyes. "What happened?" he managed to gulp out after a moment. 

"She kicked me off the squad." Buffy spoke dejectedly. 

Xander inhaled a shocked breath that coincided with Willow's.  "That's bull," Xander spoke vehemently. "You were the best one on that squad." Willow nodded in agreement, but Buffy furrowed her brow in disbelief.  "You were," he insisted off of her look. "You were the only reason I got excited about the back to school uniform modeling fest." 

Willow shook her head for Buffy and the blonde rolled her eyes.

"You do get to keep that right?" he made a show of looking worried and Buffy shoved him away. He was back at her side in an instant, this time draping his arm over her shoulder and Buffy dropped her head against his side while he guided them to the unspoken destination of the library.

Buffy sighed, "She told me to try out again next year." Willow pushed open the swinging doors on the library. "Do you know how many years I had to try out?" she posed the question to a sympathic Willow. "This was the first year I was a stable. I was in the front!"

"And the drama continues," Giles' dry voice preceded him from his office. He studied the teen who had been the first to enter the library for the better part of a week and felt a soft smile spread on his face. "I'm glad to see you up and about," he said to Buffy with a certain amount of staunch formality.

Buffy grinned back. "Thanks Giles." She slipped from Xander's side and approached her Watcher. She stopped in front of him and bounced brightly on the balls of her feet. "I feel a lot better…"

Giles gave his nod of approval and agreement at her appearance. This was the Buffy he knew, so…"Enough to start up your patrol again?" Buffy's expression fell and she grabbed her stomach and winced slightly. "So, tonight," Giles ignored her faux show and turned to head back into hi office. "And," he called out to her from inside the cubicle. "I've set up some training exercises that I think you and Angel should run through…"

Buffy's expression fell and she rolled her eyes to display her intensifying boredom. She glanced back over her shoulder to where Xander was sitting on the elevated checkout counter and talking to Willow who was leaning forward and facing him. She cleared her throat to get their attention through their conversation, and she chucked her head back towards the exit.

With a devious grin Xander hopped off his perch and made a show of grasping Willow' shoulders so that she was in front of him and tipping towards the door. Buffy backed up, following their path, while Giles continued to talk while looking for things that she assumed he wanted to show her in his office.

"And I just had this short sword delivered," The Watcher reappeared in the main room of the library, his mouth quirked into a grin while he studied the weapon in his hands. "It's from Madrid. I'd like it if you took it on a field…" He looked up in time to see the room empty, the doors swinging, and the top of Buffy's head through the glass portal as she tried to hurry away. "Bloody children…"

~*~

That night

~*~

She had caved some time around lunch and went back to the library. She had even managed an apology for leaving and to her surprise he had given her gifts. Buffy had never been given weaponry before. It was thoughtful in an eerily practical way…like that silver cross necklace that Angel had given her, but more stabby. 

Giles had told her that vampire activity, from what he had noticed, was fairly slow, and attributed it to Angel even though he confessed to her that they hadn't heard much of him lately. She had shrugged it off, and now she was glad that she didn't let it worry her because she knew for certain that the cryptic vampire was unalive and well. 

Xander had had a minor freak out, but she convinced him during forth period, she remembered with a private grin, that she would be fine. She told him that if he went to the Bronze with Wills she would meet them there when she was done. She was glad that she was almost done because, and she had mentioned it in the past, the cat and mouse thing wasn't something she was interested in. 

"Long time no see," Buffy commented wirily while strolling down the sidewalk. She didn't need to turn to see him and kept her hands in her jeans pockets.

"Could say the same about you," Angel's voice seemed to melt into the night air and he suddenly, but without a tremendous amount of surprise appeared by her side. "You look well," he nodded and eyed her with a subtle glance. 

Buffy smiled slightly, having felt his visual appraisal, but keeping her eyes focused ahead. She had known that he was behind her…well he was traveling by roof for a while, but he was around, and she was doing a mental countdown as to how long it would take him to make himself known. But, even before she became the Slayer, Buffy was not one of huge fonts of patience, and she had given up the ghost just now after thirty minutes. "Alive and kicking," she muttered slightly and still didn't turn to look at her new companion. "Not so much tonight though," she added the observation unnecessarily since she knew that he knew that from following her.

"It has been pretty dead."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at him as they make their way down the street. 

Angel caught her look and cleared hi throat semi-apprehensively. "Where's Robin?"

"276 North Center," Buffy fired back quickly and dryly, stating the address of the building that they had just passed.

The vampire chuckled and hung his head.

"You have to admit that you walked right into that one," Buffy matched his small grin and received a nod. "Xander," she emphasized and turned the corner, "is at the Bronze with Willow."

"Gave him the night off?"

The Slayer's shoulders shifted and she let out an irritated huff. "I told him I could handle it tonight…Not that it's your business."

Angel shrugged and was silent.

"And this," Buffy gestured between them brusquely. "Picking a fight and then going mute. Not helping me stave off the killing of you."

"Did you ever count how many words more you use in sentences than you actually need?" He posed the question with a genuine amount of interest and heard her sneer.

"Too busy counting all the extra seconds that I'm letting you bother us," she bit back. "Look, why don't you just melt back into the shadows all ominous and creepy like, and I'll call it a night…"

"Go play touchy feely with the kid?" If Angel sounded bitter, he supposed it was because he was. Buffy seemed to pick up on it because she smiled next to him.

"Wouldn't you like to know," She stopped and made a show of thinking deeply. "Oh wait, you probably do know, what with you lurking and all."

Angel matched her move and turned to face her. "Then why don't you?" Buffy looked confused and the vampire huffed out a frustrated breath. "If you hate me so much why haven't you killed me?"

Buffy's jaw flexed at his question and she shrugged. She pulled her hands out of her pockets and folded her arms over her chest, unconsciously shielding herself from the larger figure who was now facing her down. If he would have swung at her, she would have had a counter attack, but the verbal…there was no defense against that. "Well, you're a vampire. Why haven't you killed me?"

Angel's jaw clenched when his mouth snapped shut.

"Because of your soul?" her voice sounded like a singing taunt.

"Because," his voice was unwavering, "The world…this place needs you." He settled on a response that she obviously hadn't been expecting and he watched her shift her eyes and hug herself tighter in front of him. "Because, Buffy, we need you to do great things."

"We?" she tilted her head to the side and regarded him.

Angel nodded. "We." He didn't offer any further elaboration.

"Well," Buffy's voice was just above a whisper. "we need you too."

"We?" Angel pressed.

"We." Buffy responded in the same aloof way she felt he had. She shrugged and started walking again, stepping past him to make her way down the street and wrap up this useless patrol. Xander was lucky he was in the Bronze with Willow, where it was warm and not creepy and dark and boring…she wanted to get away from Angel and go do that too.

Angel turned and caught up with her slow pace quickly. "You're cold," he commented.

Buffy raised her eyebrows and snorted. "Nah, I just don't like you."

"No," the vampire shook his head. "I meant that you look cold." He shrugged off his jacket and caught Buffy's surprised sideways glance.

One second she had been glad that she was headed for the Bronze and her friends, now, what with Angel taking off his leather jacket…his soft, huge, warm leather jacket and draping it over her shoulders, Buffy was ecstatic that now she could see the club. She hastened her steps to reach her destination, but was halted when her companion reached out suddenly and caught her forearm. As far as she could remember this was the first time he had ever outwardly touched her and it made her shudder in response.

"Buffy," he said steadily, as if he was unaware of her inner turmoil and her heady desire to get out of there. He saw her eyes focusing on everything but his face and after a second knew that she had noticed the slightly bloody scrapes on his bicep.

"You're hurt," she choked out on a gulp, but just continued to stare at the wound.

"Look…I…" He ducked his head briefly to collect his thoughts. "I was following you tonight because there's something…a vampire out here…"

"Really?" she asked sarcastically and with feigned surprise.

"He's strong." Angel ignored her. "He's got this claw…"

Her eyes locked on his arm again. "Like a giant fork?"

"Like knives." He corrected seriously. "I just want you to be careful," his voice was sincere. "Please."

Buffy shook her head dismissively and pulled out of the hold that he seemed to forget he still had on her arm. "Always am," she called back over her shoulder. "You should get that cleaned up too," she gestured vaguely to his arm and jogged away, unaware of Angel's grin and the fact that she was hugging the jacket around her tighter as she went.

~*~

The Bronze

~*~

Willow really was working on not looking as disappointed as she always felt when Xander's face would light up. He almost always was talking with her and being overtly goofy as only he could be, but the second – the exact second that Willow always knew he had made visual contact with Buffy his face would go 1000 watt. 

That was just what had happened. They had been talking and she was genuinely comfortable and happy and Buffy had told them to enjoy the night at the Bronze as she could handle the patrol solo. The redhead believed that she had actually lulled Xander out of worry mode and he was enjoying himself too. They had danced and he was talking louder than necessary to get over the music, but to her it just sounded like shouting and that made her smile too.

It wasn't even that she was still harboring major crush issues about the boy who was and had obviously been Buffy's all along…she was just still, kinda sorta in a way, still adjusting to being the center of a member of the opposite sexes attention. When Willow went out with Xander, it was like it was just the two of them. This guy…this cute funny guy was like her best friend and it made her feel all warm inside. She couldn't help that. And then Buffy would show up, and she really liked Buffy too; but in Xander's eyes, it felt to Willow that the blonde just outshined her.

Xander's face would light up that much more.

"Buff!" he called and waved excitedly at a point just beyond Willow's shoulder. 

He was so distracted that he completely missed Willow's customary chipper grin falter slightly, but when she saw Buffy standing in her peripheral she forced it back. 

"Hey Wills," the Slayer grinned from her side and received a wholehearted smile in return. 

"How was the slaying tonight?" the redhead shifted in her seat to look at her friend who had made no move to reach for a stool and join the table. She sputtered under Buffy's sharp look and dramatic wave around the packed night club, and was vaguely aware of a boy who was passing behind her stopping briefly. "I…I meant…how was the laying?" She beamed and Xander briefly nodded proudly before his brow furrowed. "No...no wait. I didn't mean that either…"

"It's ok Willow," Buffy comforted, but then put on a mock stern glare. "I just won't tell you anymore secret stuffs."

The redhead caught the teasing tone and looked affronted. 

"Don't worry about her," Xander shot Buffy a raised eyebrow and a lopsided grin. "I got all her secret stuff anyway, and I'll rat anybody out for…" He trailed off then Buffy moved quickly, obviously a lingering result of the slaying she had just completed, and grabbed his hand where it was resting on the table. With a deft twist and a friendly sneer she maneuvered so that she was now standing behind him with his arm still caught in her grasp. "What I meant was…" Xander gasped when she tugged sharply, daring him to say the wrong thing while Willow was giggling. "That I love my Buffy and anything she tells me is vaulted.

Buffy yanked his arm again for good measure and ignored his surprised exclamation. "That's what I thought," she released him and finally let her eyes fall on an empty stool. 

Xander read her intention to take a seat between himself and Willow, but moving with a similar amount of swiftness that she had, he tugged her arm, swinging her around and pulling her slight form into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laughed into her cheek when Buffy made the obligatory show of trying to get away.

Buffy finally settled against Xander's hold and reached for the plastic cup in front of Willow. "How's Oz's set?" she asked when her friend pushed the drink towards her. Her friend flushed and her eyes went wide before darting down to the table.

"Dreamy…" Xander replied for her in a breathy voice that melded into kissing noises. Buffy pinched his arm that was around her waist hard when she saw Willow shift nervously. "You're too violent," he rebuffed dramatically, knowing that it hardly hurt and that he had always found her attempts to correct his behavior annoyingly adorable.  "We'll see whose the slayer when you end up on Cops. You'll be the one girl in all the world chosen to cell with Big Bertha." He was kicked in the shin for that and Willow laughed again. Mission accomplished as far as he was concerned.

Willow's eyes scanned the crowded club for the stage briefly before turning back to Buffy. "He's so good Buff. It's like he's…he's…"

"Stupid band guys." Xander muttered as he watched Willow stutter and receive a nod of agreement from his girlfriend.

Buffy rolled her eyes and noticed Willow's infatuatedly reminiscent grin turn into a frown of confusion. "That's a great jacket Buffy," she smiled. "Did you just get…" she gulped when she saw Buffy's expression fall worriedly. "Um…"

Xander's eyes narrowed and fixed to the leather jacket that he hadn't noticed Buffy was wearing. "Where'd you get this?" He felt Buffy shift nervously against him and he ran his fingers over the soft leather. It was obviously used…and it was too big…too big like a guy's jacket.

"I'm going to go to find Oz," Willow spoke hurriedly and stood, picking up her cup from the table. "Up by the stage." She turned quickly and cut through the crowd leaving her friends alone.

"Buffy," Xander pressed again, not watching Willow disappear from his sight. He let her go when he felt her start to pull off of his lap. Buffy grinned uneasily and reached for Willow's vacated stool, pulling it closer to where Xander was, now, rapt with attention and waiting for her response. "What…where'd it come from?"

Buffy looked at the oversized sleeves and shrugged the jacket off. She flung it over a vacant stool. "I was cold," she replied meekly with a shrug.

Xander's brow furrowed. "Alright…"

"And," Buffy looked after Willow and where she was leaning against the side of the stage.  She grinned when she saw Oz emerge from behind her friend and tap her on the shoulder making her jump and whirl on him in surprise. But when the Slayer turned again she found Xander still waiting for her response. "AndAngelsaidIcouldhaveit."

Xander almost hadn't caught that she had said it so fast. All he knew for sure was that she had said Angel, and that made him narrow his eyes. Why was Angel giving his girlfriend jackets? Why was his girlfriend taking jackets from Angel? "What happened to mine?" he asked in a surprisingly dejected sounding voice. 

Buffy's expression softened further and she reached the short distance between them for her hand. She grabbed is and interlaced their fingers. "I left it at home," she looked apologetic. "I wasn't cold when I left and I thought what with all the fighting that was supposed to happen I'd be even hotter…" She tugged their joined hands into her lap. "I didn't want to get it all grungy in dirt and stuff cuz its special to me."

Xander raised his eyes to hers with a slight smile, but then asked, "Angel was there?"

"It was so slow tonight, Xan," Buffy said instead of giving him an outright answer.

"That guy," the teen shook his head. "Who does he think he is? In 48 out of 51 states he's legally a stalker."

Buffy titled her head while Xander's eyes were wide with conviction. "There're only 50 states."

"Point stands. That's even worse for him."

Buffy grinned and stood up. She took a half step until she was standing between Xander legs and looked him in the eye briefly before ducking in and pressing a quick peck on his steady frown. "Forget him," she shrugged and tugged Xander from his seat. "Let's dance." She smirked and licked her bottom lips when Xander wiggled his eyebrows at her and she walked backwards, pulling him onto the dance floor.

~*~

 "Thanks for coming," Oz grinned at her.

Willow was physically shaking in front of him and she didn't know why. Well, she knew exactly why, but Oz was the most laid back and comfortable person she had ever met…like Xander, only he seemed to be interested in her. "You guys were great," her chin shook nervously. "I had no idea you…you… You guys were great." She wanted to hit herself in the head when it registered that she had repeated herself, but Oz was still giving her an easy going half smile.

"Two 'you guys were greats'. Can't beat a review like that." The raven haired for right now bassist assured. "Best review we've gotten since…since that guy who used to plug in our amps and get gas for the van."

Willow giggled a little, not needing Buffy's patented 'get guys to fall for you' tips to pull it off. It was genuine. "You had a man groupie."

"Well," Oz's eyebrows raised slightly. "He had breasts. The man boob is highly underrated." She smiled brighter and Oz reciprocated her expression. "But really," he insisted. "Thanks for being here."

Willow shrugged and looked over his shoulder, quickly finding her friends on the dance floor. She was actually doing this without Buffy…she kinda wanted to go get Buffy and tell her that she was doing this without her, but shook off the thought with a half smile when she saw the blonde frowning tightly at her friend's erratic dance moves. She watched Buffy imitate him and Xander slit his eyes, and with pursed lips start shimming in, what Willow assumed was, his imitation of Buffy-dancing.

Oz glanced over his shoulder when he saw that she was focused just beyond him just in time to see Buffy shove Xander back playfully, and him respond by wrapping his arms around her waist and pull her closer. Oz turned back to Willow who gulped and refocused on him, clearing her throat, just as her friends started a mini-make out session in the middle of the crowd.

He hiked his thumb back to the dance floor and reached for her hand. She jumped a little and looked shocked at the contact but didn't pull away from his grasp. That was a step as far as Oz was concerned. "You wanna dance…or something?"

Willow watched his even expression shift unsurely and noticed that Buffy and Xander were headed for some of the couches in the corner. She shrugged and nodded excitedly, appearing indifferent and anxious all at the same time. "Yeah…dance….dance is good."

Oz's smile grew wider than he was used to for a split second and he pulled her towards the center of the club. She started to sway with the music, still a good distance from making any kind of bodily contact, and the idea struck him. Biting his lower lip and fixing her with a serious expression Oz started moving mechanically and jerkily, and in actuality looking a lot like Xander when he danced. Willow watched on wide eyed, but then gasped again when just was suddenly he stopped, took a step closer and looped his arms around her waist. "Just kidding," he said good-naturedly but without a hint of a smile.

Willow tensed momentarily in his hold, but then with a trembling sigh forced herself to relax and keep moving, as smoothly as possible, to the music. Something about this guy…

~*~

Sunnydale High School

~*~

Dr. William Gregory loved bugs. 

His mother had criticized him for being a distinguished etymologist and taking a job in a high school, but he had a second passion to insects. Children. He had heard that 'children were the future' and he believed that whole heartedly. One of his high school teachers had lived his life like that and William wanted the same satisfaction from his own.

He held the vague and semi-conceited notion that maybe on of the children in his class would one day share his view. Dedicate their life to future generations.

That was on his mind as he toiled into the night to get his slides ready for his class tomorrow. William sighed, he wanted to affect their lives, but sometimes he just had to settle that maybe one would have done the reading. he could usually count on the new girl, Willow Rosenberg, to be that one. He made it a point to know their names. It made them feel special and he knew how important that was to children. 

He held up a slide to the light and examined the translucent photo image it held. "Praying mantis," he muttered to himself. "That's number 23…"

A soft scraping sounded behind him and Dr. Gregory turned partially to his left to look over his shoulder. "Hello?" he called into the still empty room. "Is somebody there?" He got no response and shook his head with a chuckle. When he started hearing things, it was definitely time to pack up.

He nodded at the notion and slipped the slid into the projector…

Then his world went black.

~*~

Xander's House

~*~

He shifted nervously and he didn't know why. 

"I'm so proud of Wills," Buffy was ringing her hands and standing in front of him expectantly. She could see the lights on in his living room and from the occasional shadow that darted past she knew that his mother was still awake. There would be no climbing into his window tonight, that was for sure.

Xander grinned and nodded. All her frivolous comment told him was that she was matching his sentiment. Not about being surprised that Willow had taken Oz up on his offer to drive her home, but about the nervousness. "You're going to call and get me the good gossip, right?" he licked his lips in mock anticipation. 

Buffy giggled at his expression and nodded. "You won't go without."

Buffy giggle was his invitation. Big strong Slayer types didn't giggle unless they were suffering massive amounts of anxious anticipation. Buffy rocking on the balls of her feet was another key give away. She wanted him to kiss her…some more. The good night kind that they hadn't really had yet.

Xander cleared his throat and took a fraction of a step closer. "I um…I…"

She nodded.

"You don't know what I was going to say," he teased with a smile.

"I thought it was going to be along the lines of 'Thank you for protecting me with your life just then, Buff. I know the guys supposed to do the walking you home thing."

He nodded as that seemed alright, even though he wasn't sure about that faint dig at his masculinity. "Then what?" His voice dropped an octave and he stepped closer still. He caught Buffy's masked hitch of breath and gave a lopsided grin, slipping his arms around her waist beneath the jacket she had put back on. 

Angel wanted to give her things? He could go ahead. But let him watch them now, Xander dared silently. Let the vampire civet his girl night and day, but Buffy would stay just where she was. She wanted to be just where she was.

"Mmm," she hummed and tilted her head up to regard him at his new closer proximity. "Goodnight?" her voice did that girly high pitched thing and she was well aware of it.

Xander arched an eyebrow, "Anything scripted after that?" He wondered if she would answer, but she just shook her head coyly.

"I say you ad lib it."

Xander steeled himself and ducked his head quickly, kissing her softly by surprise and taking full advantage of her gasp. He felt her arms tighten around his shoulder and she pulled herself up into him fully while their mouths worked with a contrasting languidness that tempered the excitement. "Night, Buffy," he smiled when she pulled back with a final peck.

He kissed her again more chastely just as the porch light above them flicked off and on in rapid succession, signaling that Mrs. Harris had had enough of their antics outside. He let his arms fall from around her waist and gripped her hand, squeezing it slightly. "Call me when you get in," he swallowed deeply and she nodded timidly and with a slight flush.

Buffy let go of his hand. "Night Xan," she was beaming as she headed off the porch and knew Xander was watching her walk down the street from just inside his doorway, for safety's sake. Feeling as if she was floating and swinging her arms back and forth Buffy headed home, just in time to make curfew, and feeling her personal, self appointed, protector's annoying, yet conveniently available, eyes on her the whole way.

~*~

Sunnydale High School

The next morning

~*~

What a spectacular morning. Perfect southern California weather. Perfect sun. Perfect school…well, everything but the school part was perfect. Willow spotted Buffy heading towards her with Giles at her side. "He said that there was a vampire…with a spork."

Giles cleared his throat and swallowed a bite of his apple. "A spork?"

"Like a knife fork combination." Buffy explained and sat down beside Willow.

"Sporks are spoon and fork," Willow pointed out and Buffy looked perplexed. "You mean, like, a kniork or a forife."

"Forife?" Buffy seemed to consider and accept the new word with a nod. 

"Yes," Giles' voice was dry when he interrupted the pointless conversation. "Well, there's a vampire…"

"With a forife," Buffy added brightly and Giles rolled his eyes. "It scratched him pretty bad. I didn't know vampires could bleed like that. It was gross."

"Then we'll step up your training and I'll see what I can find," the Watcher squinted in the sun. "We'll look for this creature tonight?" He received a nod and then turned to scan the students who were milling and chatting in the sun. "Everyday here is the same," he frowned slightly. He was too caught up in his own judgmental grimace to notice Buffy's mimicking him.

"Yeah," Willow tried to keep from giggling. "All sunny and bright."

"I don't know how we survive this eternal torment." Buffy shook her head. She glanced at Giles who muttered something and started heading for the entrance of the school, Xander headed out in the opposite direction. "G-man!" 

"Good morning, Xander," the Watcher grinned tightly. He still hated that name, and when Xander reached out and without making direct contact herded the older man back to where the girls were sitting. "Guess what the word is?" he spoke excitedly, forgoing an actual greeting.

"The word for what?" Buffy's voice was rightfully confused. "Because Wills and I just make up forife."

"That knife fork thing?" Xander nodded. "I think the Colonial had all flatware combinations already, Buff." He watched Buffy's bright smile turned into a disturbed frown. "But I'll make it up to you," he promised hurriedly. He looked down at Willow and noticed her biology textbook lying next to her lap. Reaching for it he deftly tossed it onto the ground behind them, "You're not going to be needing that today."

Both girls looked perplexed and Willow reached back to retrieve her book. 

Xander shook his head in disappointment when he saw her brushing the grass off on the cover. "Your section's canceled, Wills. No books for you."

Buffy looked intrigued but seemed pleased all the same as she and Willow was in the same class.  "What happened?" she inquired despite her internal happy dance at having one more free period. She'd be sure to rub that in Xander's face later while he was on his way to his Bio class.

"Mr. Gregory," he nodded. "Dead."

Buffy and Willow both gasped in shock. "What?" the redhead's brow furrowed.

"Well," Xander shrugged dismissively. "Missing. But I have, surprisingly enough, little faith in that category anymore."

Giles nodded beside him, and caught Buffy's silent prompt. "I shall see what I can fond on this situation as well then, yes."

"Maybe Fork-guy has something to do with it?" Willow raised an eyebrow and the Slayer nodded enthusiastically. 

"Fork guy?" Xander pursed his lips and glanced at Buffy.

Willow answered instead. "Angel said that there was a new vamp in town," she whispered secretively. "He has a claw where is hand used to be." He hummed and nodded.

They all expected a useful contribution to the situation at hand but when Xander spoke up it was bitter. "So now Angel's a narky coat fairy." He chose to ignore the fact that Buffy was, yet again, wearing the jacket that the vampire had given her the night before. She averted her gaze when she saw him notice her apparel. Giles scoffed and started back to the school mumbling something about children and leaving them behind. 

Buffy watched him go over Willow's shoulder while Xander stood with his arms folded over his chest. "Do you really think he's dead?"

"Why don't you call Angel?" Xander offered condescendingly and ignored the hurt look that flashed in Buffy's eyes. "He can smell fever; I bet he'd be on a dead body like Old Yeller." His voice dropped and he turned his eyes away from where the girls were seated. "…shot that dog in the end," he muttered under his breath. 

Buffy, having heard his comment, matched his snooty tone. "Don't you think there're bigger problems?"

"Oh yeah," Xander eyed her and nodded exaggeratedly. They both seemed to miss Willow shifting uncomfortably. "I run all around this school to help you out and when I find you all you talk about is that tall dark and pedophile…"

"Dr. Gregory might be dead, Xander." Buffy reiterated. "Angel's got nothing to do with…"  She trialed off when she heard him mumble 'whatever' under his breath. "You know my friend Xander," she spoke rhetorically; "He wasn't half as crazy as this version."

Xander's eyes went wide. "Well my friend Buffy was…wasn't…she…" Buffy was watching him expectantly, but in the heat of the argument no smart retort came to mind. "She was more rational!" He looked confused as she did when he finally got that out. Xander sighed and dropped his folded arms to his sides. "Look," he ran his hand back through his hair, "You know how… I just…" his eyes skipped away from where Buffy was holding his attention with hers and scanned the steps. "I justghhh…" 

Buffy's brow furrowed and she caught a matching expression on Willow's face beside her when Xander seemed to zone out mid-word.

The boy gulped and shook his head slightly, his eyes still on the steps. "I, uh…uhhh…" he bit his bottom lip. This was new. He was seen Ms. French before, but…

He took a deep breath and turned back to Buffy, but then found his attention drawn back to the woman who was walking, as if in slow motion, towards him. His eyes went wide and his face relaxed with a sigh as he focused on the older woman's hips. They were all extra sway-y. And her lips all red and pouty. And her breasts…all breasty. He chuckled to himself and reminded himself to blink. What was this? He thought briefly and the inhaled sharply at the sharp clench in his abdomen…oh no…

"Are you kidding?" Buffy questioned caustically when she had obviously turned and seen what, or who, Xander had become so interested in so suddenly. The Slayer rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, as he seemingly forgot their current argument, and turned to Willow. "She's like 40."

Willow grimaced sympathetically and shrugged. She didn't like all the tension she always had to feel now. She could feel the 'middle man' syndrome falling upon her and it was not of the good. 

"Xander," Ms. French was at his side before Buffy turned to face him again. Her death-scowl went unaccounted for by all except her redheaded friend. 

"I didn't know that you got here so early in the morning," the teacher spoke rather sultrily and let her arm fall onto the teens. She grinned when she saw his wide eyes fall to where it had landed on his bare skin.

"I ah…uhh...ahyeah…"

"School starts at 8," Buffy informed her dryly. "Getting here by 7:50 is always a good step."

Ms. French turned, her grin souring and her expression was matched to a tee. "Yes, well…" she turned back to Xander and smiled before sparing Buffy another acidic look. "The biology sections are to be combined today. I trust you'll show up, Ms. Summers. I've checked your attendance record from Dr. Gregory's roll, and you seem to be having some difficulty in that area."

"Oh no," Willow piped up hurriedly. "Tardy isn't absence. She always comes…just fashionably late." She smiled in satisfaction at Buffy's subtle 'thanks a lot' grin.

"Of course I'll be there," Buffy smiled sweetly and sidled up to Xander's side. He was still distracted and she didn't like the little bit of drool that was forming at the side of his mouth while his eyes were fixed with this 'Mrs. Robinson's' chest. she looped her arm around his and forced him to comply dumbly, leaning into his side. "I never miss a class with my boyfriend."

Ms. French nodded. "Or you always miss class with your boyfriend." She titled her head and grinned flirtatiously at Xander. He managed a stupid sounding mumble in response, and combined it with an equally as inane slow forming grin. "I checked my attendance chart and you two have a tendency of being absent together."

Xander looked guilty and Buffy shrugged indifferently. She was more than ready to end this conversation by having this woman fired. She was never liked Ms. French…always making all the guys fall head over heals to get her whatever she wanted. The Slayer's brow furrowed suddenly. The reaction didn't happen all of the time. It was seasonal, it seemed…and when she had noticed Xander's in the past… and other boys…

The pieces were falling together and the cogs were turning. 'Missing' did seem to be a common term that was severely over looked because rarely did they end up 'finding'…

"Let's try to break that habit, yes Xander." Ms. French touched his arm again and Xander made a 'gahh' sound that Buffy didn't wholly like. "In class then," she nodded and side stepped the teens on her way to the entrance. 

"That lady's weird," Willow commented while watching her be intercepted by Blain Hart. She watched him brush his fingers over the varsity letters that were sewn onto his jacket the way he always seemed to do in front of girls, and grin cockily at the older woman. She saw Ms. French smile back and touch the boy's arm and noticed an exact replication of Xander's daft look before both student and teacher headed inside seemingly engrossed in discussion.

"What was I talking about?" Xander shook his head and sounded confused for a moment – right before Buffy slapped him, none too gently, in the shoulder.

Willow refocused on her friends who were glaring at each other, until Xander cracked and flashed Buffy a smile that the Slayer fought hard to resist. "Biology," the redhead filled him in with a sense of mock shock.

"No," Buffy disagreed and turned to scoop up her bag. "Ms. French was talking, Xander was being an invalid."

He frowned at her assessment and jogged a few steps to catch up as she and Willow started inside ahead of him. "I was not," he whined from his post at Buffy's side. 

The Slayer arched a disbelieving brow and reached for his face. With a smug grin she swiped at the corner of his mouth with her thumb and made a show of wiping it on his sleeve. "Had a little bit of residual drool," she walked through the door that Xander was holding open for her and Willow to enter the homeroom. "Must have been all the old woman boobs you were staring at." She caught his deep frown over her shoulder as he followed them inside the room.

"Well," he settled and sighed hopefully. He slid into his seat behind Buffy and glanced between his two friends. "At least we all have class together." He was met with a bright Willow nod and a huffed chuckle from his girlfriend, so he just sat back in his seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End Part 3b


End file.
